Christians in Burkina Faso will mark Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve before nightfall because of safety fears.

It’s the tenth year running that services in the sub-Saharan country will take place before dark because of the threat of violence. Christians in Burkina Faso face severe persecution and displacement from jihadist violence from neighbouring Mali.

Bishop Théophile Naré of Kaya in north-central Burkina Faso, told the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN): “The celebrations will begin early to avoid having to move around at night.” But he added that despite the fear, their faith is lively:

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. The key word is resilience: persevering in prayer, hope and doing good.

“If the enemy was thinking of snuffing out Christianity, it’s wasting its time: Christianity in Africa is spreading”.

The bishop reported that in Koumi, in the west of the country, the seminary is full, even though the country’s priests are targeted by terrorists.

He said proof of the growth of Christianity also came last March when 2 million people gathered at the Marian sanctuary of Yagma for the 125th anniversary of Christian evangelisation in the country.