In Nigeria—Africa’s most populous country—violence and bloodshed continue to surge, week after week, month after month. Tragically, our Christian brothers and sisters are the primary targets of Islamist terrorism—murders, rapes, kidnapping, and never-ending threats of more.

One important theme of the pontificate of Pope Francis has been a message of hope to Christians in the Middle East and Africa that they are not forgotten.

At this moment, another genocide against Christians is silently unfolding in Nigeria.

When the Nigerian government initiated the release of abducted schoolgirls from the terrorist group Boko Haram last February, one of the girls, the only Christian, was left behind because she refused to convert to Islam.