Vatican City: As the year draws to a close, the pontifical news agency Agenzia Fides has released a sobering report on Catholic missionaries who lost their lives in service worldwide. According to the data, 13 Catholic missionaries were killed this year, comprising eight priests and five laypeople.

The report highlights Africa and the Americas as the most dangerous regions, with five pastoral workers killed on each continent. In Africa, the country breakdown includes two deaths in Burkina Faso, one in Cameroon, one in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and two in South Africa. Meanwhile, in the Americas, fatalities occurred in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Brazil, with one loss in each nation.

Europe saw two deaths, with one missionary each from Poland and Spain. Over the past 24 years, a total of 608 missionaries and pastoral workers have been killed. However, when considering those who died for their faith in Christ, the numbers are said to be tenfold higher, reflecting the broader sacrifices made in the name of their beliefs.