About 130 cathedrals, thousands of churches, and over 125,000 people around the world are expected to take part in Red Week this month, with the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, honoring the occasion by lighting up in red on Nov. 23.
Red Week 2026 will take place from Nov. 15–22, with Red Wednesday falling on Nov. 18 in most regions, although it will be observed on Nov. 25 in the Philippines.
The observance began in 2016 by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), an international Catholic aid organization and Pontifical Foundation of the Church that supports Christians who are persecuted, oppressed, or in material need. The week includes illuminating monuments in red, prayer vigils, testimonies, and seminars on Christian persecution around the world.
Designed to raise awareness of the ongoing Christian persecution in countries particularly in Africa and Asia, Red Week brings together those who are persecuted and those who are working to end violence and hatred against people of faith. At various events, testimonials from survivors of religious persecution will provide powerful moments of reflection about the suffering and human rights violations happening around us that go unnoticed.
According to the latest figures provided by ACN, 413 million Christians live in countries where serious violations of religious freedom occur, and around 220 million Christians worldwide are directly exposed to persecution.
“Faced with this reality, the pontifical foundation is once again promoting the Red Week this November, an international mobilization of prayer, witness, and awareness-raising to draw attention to the deterioration of religious freedom and remember the millions of Christians who suffer discrimination and persecution because of their faith,” said Regina Lynch, executive president of ACN International.
Red is more than a color
According to ACN’s “Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025,” more than 5.4 billion people — almost two-thirds of humanity — live in countries where religious freedom is not fully guaranteed.
The color red is used to symbolize the blood of martyrs and all those who suffer for their faith. In 33 countries Christians have been forced to leave their homes because of their faith while in 57 countries Christians suffer physical violence or even detention because of their faith.
Each church and monument taking part in Red Week serves as a reminder of Christians who cannot freely practice their religion. In line with article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every individual has the freedom of thought, religion, and conscience with the right to practice their beliefs, free from persecution and violence.
Through this weeklong initiative, ACN aims to promote one shared goal of making visible the shared suffering of the Christian people and defend everyone’s fundamental rights to religious freedom.
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