The Center for Civil & Human Rights at Notre Dame University, in partnership with the Religious Freedom Project at Georgetown University, and the Community of Sant’Egidio will hold a public symposium titled “Under Caesar’s Sword: An International Conference on Christian Response to Persecution.”  The symposium will be held at the Pontifical  Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy, on December 10-12, 2015:

The International Conference on Christian Response to Persecution is a major component of Under Caesar’s Sword. It will take place at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy, on December 10th to 12th, 2015.

The main objective of the conference is to introduce the results of the world’s first systematic global investigation into the responses of Christian communities to the violation of their religious freedom. The scope of Under Caesar’s Sword extends to some 100 beleaguered Christian communities in around 30 countries.

In addition, the International Conference on Christian Response to Persecution aims to:

1. Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Diginitatis Humanae, The Second Vatican Council’s declaration  on religious freedom, and to inquire into the threats to religious freedom at the time of the declaration and those that Christians face today;
2. Elicit a lively discussion of the global persecution of Christians among journalists, government officials, human rights activists, church leaders, representatives of world religions, scholars, students, and the interested public; and
3. Draw public attention to the plight of persecuted Christian communities, promote cooperation among Christian churches in assisting these communities, and encourage global solidarity with them.

The conference will feature plenary speakers from among the world’s most respected advocates of religious freedom. It will offer a lively discussion of the global persecution of Christians among church leaders, government officials, scholars, human rights activists, representatives of world religions, students and the interested public. Finally, the conference will shed light on the experiences of millions of Christians worldwide whose religious freedom is severely violated.