In just a few days, Pope Francis will deliver a historic address to Congress. Earlier this year, he spoke about “a form of genocide” happening in the world. Globally, Christians are being imprisoned, tortured and killed for their faith. In 2013, Christians faced persecution in 102 out of 190 countries. These incidents of persecution are occurring on multiple continents throughout the globe. Global leaders must break their silence and speak out against this genocide.

In Asia, North Korea is the worst offender. According to the 2015 Open Doors’ World Watch List, North Korea is the worst persecutor of Christians in the world. There, Christians are often sent to prison camps for possessing Bibles and are sometimes even executed for their faith. The State Department estimates that 80,000-120,000 North Koreans are imprisoned in labor camps, many because of their religious beliefs. In November 2013, 80 North Korean Christians were reportedly executed for possessing Bibles and South Korean religious films.