Faith
Bridging Divides: Faith in Action Among Roma
Faith Facts
- Christian love calls believers to cross ethnic and cultural barriers in service.
- Churches in Albania actively engage with Roma communities through worship and sports.
- Genuine shalom is found when believers reach out to those society overlooks.
Many in southeastern Europe harbor deep distrust between ethnic groups, but the Roma often face the harshest contempt.
Witnessing believers in Christ reach out in love to Roma families reveals the heart of Christian unity and compassion that transcends worldly divisions.
During a visit to a Roma neighborhood near Košice, Slovakia, a Catholic volunteer shared photographs of Pope Francis visiting, emphasizing the necessity of fighting stereotypes and embracing every person’s dignity.
“We cannot reduce the reality of others to fit our own prepackaged ideas,” Pope Francis said. “All too often you have been the object of prejudice and harsh judgments, discriminatory stereotypes, defamatory words and gestures. As a result, we are all poorer in humanity.”
Faith-driven outreach events, such as church services and basketball leagues in Albania, allow Roma children to participate with their Albanian peers, sowing seeds of unity and hope.
Racism and classism defy Biblical teachings; every child of God deserves respect and love regardless of their background.
This living example of shalom—God’s peace—reminds us that walls of division can be brought down through Christ’s love. As Lisa Foreman of the Tirana church observed, “The Roma are right at the heart of shalom.”
Stand with believers around the world as they break down barriers and build bridges for Christ, championing faith, family, and freedom for all.