A campaign has been launched to encourage Christians worldwide to wear orange on Sundays to raise awareness on the persecution of Christians in the Middle East by Islamic State militants.
American churches are now seeing worshippers wearing orange clothes or just orange ribbons on Sundays to express solidarity with persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
Organizers have chosen orange as their campaign colour since it is the colour of the jumpsuits worn by captives of the ISIS terrorist group, including some 20 Egyptian Coptic Christians who were beheaded last month in Libya.
The movement was launched after Pope Francis called attention to the modern-day persecution of Christians around the world.
Catholic writer Rey Flores set the trend when he wrote an article titled "Orange is the New Color of Martyrdom" for The Wanderer. Flores has since then been promoting the #orangejumpsuit project, headed by Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Church on the Hill in Washington, D.C.
The Living Word Community Church, in Dumont, New Jersey, has joined the campaign, saying that it is a good way to get parishioners to discuss the plight of Christians in the troubled region, said Pastor Frank Bolella.
"Americans need to be aware first of all what is happening," he said.
John Estrada, a congregant, said wearing orange makes him feel in unity with the persecuted Christians. "The reason why I am wearing an orange shirt is to represent the Christian brothers and sisters that are being persecuted," he said.
Lydia O'Leary of Ribbons for Rescue urged Christians worldwide to ask their lawmakers to give more than financial aid for Christian refugees in the Middle East. She called on them to press their government to provide these refugees with safe havens in their own country.
O'Leary's group is promoting the wearing of orange every day to draw more attention to the Christians' persecution. "We call on people to wear orange daily," O'Leary reportedly told Fox News. "It says 'we're standing with you on this—you're not alone.'"
Rev. Frank Karwacki of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, has also urged his congregation to wear orange ribbons and clothing.
"We are all brothers and sisters in Christ," Karwacki said. It's so sad how they are being tortured—we need to get prayer power going."
"They destroyed those ancient churches and killed so many of our Catholics there," he said. "I'm hoping that other parishes and churches" join the orangecampaign," he said.
