“In several parts of the world, the testimony of Christ has become common experience for Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, Protestants, Evangelical and Pentecostal, up to blood shedding”, and “is much deeper and stronger than the differences still separating our Churches and ecclesial communities”. It was written by Pope Francis in the message to Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, for the Global Christian Forum meeting about “Discrimination, persecution, martyrdom: following Christ together” (Tirana, 2 – 4 November). In the text made known today by the Vatican press room, Francis speaks about “increasing discrimination and persecution of Christians in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and other places in the world”, and says: “We are not indifferent to the sufferings of our brothers and sisters”. The “communio martyrum is the clearest sign of our common path. At the same time – says the Pope – your meeting will give voice to the victims of such injustice and violence, trying to point out the way leading the human family out of this tragic situation”. Let the testimony of “today’s martyrs”, says the Pontiff,  be “a call to continue our ecumenical path toward full and visible communion, growing more and more in love and mutual understanding”.