LOS ANGELES – In an opinion piece published today – Good Friday – on CNN.com, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, and Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, executive producers of “A.D. – The Bible Continues,” noted an alarming rise in Christian persecution around the globe, calling for urgent prayer and advocacy on behalf of those threatened by extremists.

“This Holy Week we are calling upon Christians to also reflect upon the crucifixion, beheading, stoning, enforced slavery, sexual abuse, human trafficking, harassment, bombing and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Christians – and others – whose faith alone has made them a target of religious extremists,” wrote Dolan, Burnett and Downey. “These communities need our love and support like never before, and they also need security and protection from the world like never before.”

Already, more than 80 of America’s most well-known faith leaders, representing many millions, have responded, pledging their own support and the support of their communities, including:

• Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, D.C.;
• Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of Philadelphia;
• Leith Anderson, President of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE);
• Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington;
• Samuel Rodriquez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)/Conela;
• Jim Daly, President of Focus on the Family;
• Rich Stearns, President of World Vision;
• Father Jonathan Morris, New York Times Bestselling Author;
• Russell Moore, President of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission;
• Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Armenian Orthodox Church;
• Most Rev. Denis J. Madden, Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore;
• Andy Stanley, Founder and Pastor of North Point Community Church;
• Nina Shea, Director, Center for Religious Freedom Hudson Institute;
• Pastor Louie Giglio, Passion City Church, Founder, the Passion Movement;
• Jo-Anne Lyon, General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church;
• Joshua DuBois, Founder and CEO, Values Partnerships;
• Mark Batterson, Senior Pastor of National Community Church;
• Geoff Tunnicliffe, Former Secretary General, World Evangelical Alliance;
• Jerry Falwell Jr., President of Liberty University;
• John Garvey, President, The Catholic University of America;
• Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon, Harvard Law School;
• Very Rev. Archimandrite Nathanael Symeonides, Director, Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations; Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America;
• Dr. Gabriel Salguero, President of the National Latino Evangelical Association;
• Ravi Zacharias, President of Ravi Zacharias Ministries;
• Joel C. Hunter, Senior Pastor of Northland – A Church Distributed;
• Dave Stone, Senior Pastor of Southeast Christian Church;
• Kevin Palau, President of the Luis Palau Association;
• Vernon Brewer, Founder and President of World Help;
• Peter Greer, President and CEO of Hope International;
• Chris Seiple, President, The Institute for Global Engagement, Co-Founder, The Cradle Fund;
• Barry H. Corey, President of Biola University;
• Kenneth C. Ulmer, Senior Pastor of Faith Central Bible Church;
• Larry Ross, President, A. Larry Ross Communications;
• Johnnie Moore, Author of “Defying ISIS,” Co-Founder, The Cradle Fund;
• Robert A. Destro, Professor of Law, The Catholic University of America;
• Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Armenian Orthodox Church;
• Lino Rulli, The Catholic Guy, SiriusXM Satellite Radio;
• Eric Metaxas, New York Times Bestselling Author of “Bonheoffer;”
• Michael Wear, Consultant and Former Obama White House and Campaign Staff;
• Gregory Thornbury, President of The King’s College;
• Jack Graham, Senior Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church;
• James MacDonald, Senior Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel;
• Pastors Tommy and Luke Barnett of the Phoenix First Assembly of God;
• Ray Johnston, Senior Pastor of Bayside Church;
• Wilfredo “Choco” de Jesus, Senior Pastor of New Life Covenant Church and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People;
• Thomas F. Farr, Director Religious Freedom Project, Georgetown University;
• The Very Reverend James A. Kowalski, Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine;
• Clarence E Martin II, Esq., Vatican Liaison for the Iraqi Kurdistan Project;
• Richard P. Gallena, Esq., Washington, D.C.;
• Carole A. O’Leary, Senior Adviser and Co-Director, The Iraqi Kurdistan Religious Freedom Project;
• Patricia Andrasik, The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning;
• Toufic Baaklini, President of In Defense Of Christians (IDC);
• Stephen Schneck, Director, Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies, The Catholic University of America;
• Very Rev. Dr. Mark M. Morozowich, Interim Provost, The Catholic University of America;
• Andrew V. Abela, Dean, School of Business and Economics, The Catholic University of America;
• Robin Darling Young, School of Theology and Religious Studies, The Catholic University of America;
• Father Benedict Kiely, Founder, www.Nasarean.org;
• Will C. Rainford, MSW, Ph.D., Dean, National Catholic School of Social Service, The Catholic University of America;
• James M. Quirk, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, Department of Government, The Catholic University of America;
• James Robison, Founder of Life Today International;
• Dean Curry, Lead Pastor of Life Center in Tacoma, Washington;
• John Hagee, Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Church;
• Brian Tome, Senior Pastor of Crossroads Church;
• Jentezen Franklin, Senior Pastor of Free Chapel;
• Jerry Prevo, Senior Pastor of the Anchorage Baptist Temple;
• Ralph Reed, Founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition;
• Mat Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel;
• Jonathan Falwell, Senior Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church;
• Tim Head, Executive Director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition;
• Michael Youssef, Vicar of the Church of the Apostles;
• Pastor Ken Foreman, Senior Pastor of the Cathedral of Faith;
• Bob Roberts, Jr,, Senior Pastor Northwood Church, Keller, Texas;
• and many others.

This is the latest in a series of initiatives calling for greater attention to this crisis including a letter issued by Dr. Ronnie Floyd, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and his 17 predecessors over three and one-half decades, and a campaign on behalf of the “21 Martyrs” of the Coptic Church initiated by the Rev. Samuel Rodriquez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)/Conela.

Of that effort, Rodriguez noted, “When light stands next to darkness, light always wins. As individuals of faith suffer persecution, we stand convicted and convinced that terror and intolerance cannot, and will not, extinguish the light of grace, truth and love.”

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