Why Christians are still being persecuted

The principle of religious tolerance or liberty has only been acknowledged by the Catholic Church since 1965. It is not even an aspiration outside the West, says TP O’Mahony

Whenever people worship in a public place, they are vulnerable to terrorists and extremists, whether the latter are religiously inspired (they too often are) or not. As sacred spaces, churches, mosques, and synagogues should be safe, but they are not, as recent events have tragically shown.

The dreadful, co-ordinated suicide bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka — mainly in the capital, Colombo — killed 253 people and again focused attention on the central importance of religious freedom. This seemingly straightforward concept is, in reality, very nuanced and controversial.