Bishop Michael Router launched ‘Week of Witness’ in St Patrick's Cathedral Armagh on Sunday and invited Christians to stand in solidarity with the "heroic example of our persecuted brothers and sisters in faith across the world".

Report finds that one-third of the world’s population suffers from religious persecution in some form, with Christians constituting “by far the most widely persecuted religion.”

With Christianity on the verge of extinction in its birthplace, it is time for concerted action that begins to turn the tide, says British Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

In several areas the Christian presence has become virtually extinct; elsewhere congregations have grown due to an influx of Christians fleeing violence.

Between November 2013 and October 2014, 4,344 Christians were killed “for reasons closely linked to their faith” and 1,062 churches were attacked.