MOROCCO

MOROCCO STATS


CAPITAL: RABAT
POPULATION: 35,757,175
LANGUAGE: ARABIC
BELOW POVERTY: 15%
ACCESS TO WATER: 83%
ACCESS TO IMPROVED SANITATION: 72%
AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME: $7,356
CHRISTIAN: 0.1%

PARTNERED NGO

The Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, inter-denominational Christian organization dedicated to assisting our persecuted family worldwide.

PERSECUTION

NEWS
Christianity comprises of about 0.1% of the population, although freedom of religion is allowed, converting Muslims is prohibited and punished.  

Christianity in Morocco appeared during the Roman times, when it was practiced by Christian Berbers in Roman Mauretania Tingitana, although it disappeared after the Islamic conquests.

According to tradition, the martyrdom of St. Marcellus took place on 28 July 298 at Tingis (Tangier). Since the Tetrarchy (Emperor Diocletian's reform of governmental structures in 296), Mauretania Tingitana became part of the Diocese of Hispaniae (a Latin plural) and hence in the Praetorian Prefecture of the Gauls (Mauretania Caesariensis was in the diocese of Africa, in the other pretorian prefecture within the western empire), and remained so until its conquest by the Vandals. Lucilius Constantius is recorded as governor (praeses) in the mid to late fourth century.

The expatriate Christian community (Roman Catholic and Protestant) consists of 5,000 practicing members, although estimates of Christians residing in the country at any particular time range up to 25,000. Most Christians reside in the Casablanca and Rabat urban areas. The majority of Christians in Morocco are foreigners, although Voice of the Martyrs reports there is a growing number of native Moroccans (45,000) converting to Christianity, especially in the rural areas. Many of the converts are baptized secretly in Morocco’s churches.


Wikipedia