On December 10, 2025, marking the 77th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Chinese Christians who had fled China due to religious persecution participated in a World Human Rights Day candlelight vigil at Piazza dei Santi Apostoli in Rome. The event was organized by the Rome Section of the Italian Federation of Business and Professional Women (FIDAPA BPW Italy) and took place from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. local time.
Participants held candles and placards reading “All Human Beings Are Born Free and Equal in Dignity and Rights,” “Solidarity,” “Dignity,” “Equality,” “Freedom,” “Freedom of Belief Is a Fundamental Right,” “Protect Human Rights,” and “Support the Persecuted.” Through this cross-cultural and interfaith collective action, they expressed a firm commitment to upholding human rights, dignity, and world peace.
This marked the third consecutive year that the Rome Section of FIDAPA BPW Italy has organized this symbolic candlelight vigil. The initiative aims to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, and to call on the international community to continue upholding the dignity of individuals and peoples worldwide in a world still deeply affected by war and conflict.
The host organization stated at the event that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights emerged through a long and arduous process, reflecting the collective efforts of countless people driven by goodwill. This landmark international document was brought to fruition under the leadership of the distinguished woman Eleanor Roosevelt and to this day continues to provide important guidance for the global human rights cause.
In the warm glow of candlelight, these Chinese Christians—who have suffered persecution for their faith—expressed their firm belief in life, liberty, personal security, and equality before the law by reading passages from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Article 6: Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. Article 9: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.…” Their reading gave these principles a profound meaning of reality, and became a moving moment of warmth during the evening’s vigil. It highlighted the Christian community’s embrace of universal human values and their faith-based commitment to justice, human rights, and peace.
It is precisely through such readings that people can feel the weight of reality more acutely: since the CCP came to power in 1949, China has never truly upheld the principle of freedom of religion enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Although the Chinese Constitution explicitly states that “citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief,” in practice the authorities have long imposed strict controls—and even systematic repression—on religious faith, guided by official ideologies rooted in communist atheism, materialism, and evolutionism. Karl Marx, the founder of communism, infamously described religion as “the opium of the people” and believed it would gradually wither away. This ideological outlook has consistently shaped the CCP’s approach to religious policy.
In 1995, some house churches that refused to join the official “Three-Self Patriotic Church” (including the Shouters, The Church of Almighty God, and the All-Scope Church, among others) were labeled by the CCP as so-called “cults,” and subsequently subjected to intensified repression. Among them, The Church of Almighty God (CAG) has suffered particularly severe persecution. According to incomplete statistics, from its establishment in 1991 to June 2025, at least 500,000 CAG Christians were arrested for attending gatherings or preaching the gospel, nearly 80,000 were subjected to torture, 13,866 were sentenced to prison terms, and 307 were persecuted to death. These shocking figures not only reveal the grim reality of religious freedom in China but have also become a sustained focus of concern for the international community and human rights organizations.
During the event, Laura Giannuzzi, President of FIDAPA BPW Italy’s Central District, was also present and expressed her support for the Rome Section’s continued commitment to organizing this commemorative initiative. She noted that in today’s world, the joint participation of cross-cultural and interfaith communities carries significant practical importance for defending human rights, promoting understanding, and advancing world peace.
Though each candle is faint, together they form a beacon of hope. At Piazza dei Santi Apostoli, the scattered flickering lights illuminated not only the night sky but also the longing in people’s hearts for freedom and justice. As the host organization emphasized, people must walk forward hand in hand—remembering the history of the struggle for human rights, while remaining keenly aware that the path toward justice and freedom of belief remains long and arduous.
