Cardinal Vincent Nichols has recorded a statement calling on people to get involved in a Catholic charity’s initiative supporting persecuted and other suffering Christians on November 20.

The Cardinal, who is Archbishop of Westminster, endorsed Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)’s #RedWednesday campaign in a video message, inviting parishes and individuals to participate in activities to raise awareness of, and pray for, the suffering Church.

The cardinal, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, said that #RedWednesday “is a special day for the Church” because “many buildings are floodlit with red to draw attention to the suffering of Christians all over the world.

“And this year, with this particular focus on [persecuted] Christian children, I hope you will pick up and respond to Wednesday, 20^th November as #RedWednesday.”

He added that ACN’s mission is to “draw our attention to the persecution of Christians in so many countries in this world, and to their aid and support”.

Cardinal Nichols went on to say: “Please see if there are ways in which you can give help to Aid to the Church in Need, but also, and most importantly, in your prayers.

He concluded: “Let’s not forget those who in the world today directly suffer with Christ – the persecution that he bore on the Cross and they bear in their lives – especially the children.

“Let them not be forgotten. Let them be in the focus of our hearts and our prayers. And may God bless Aid to the Church in Need for all it seeks to do.”

#RedWednesday is ACN’s annual flagship event established in 2016 to raise awareness of the extent of Christian persecution worldwide.

This year’s #RedWednesday Mass will be taking place at Brompton Oratory in London on the evening of November 20.