Pope Francis: In Some Countries Christians "Are Punished by the Mere Fact of Carrying a Cross."
Pope Francis in a homily: "Christians are persecuted for their faith. In some countries they are punished by the mere fact of carrying a cross. Today, in the twenty-first century, our Church is a Church of martyrs, those who say like Peter and John: 'We can not silence what we saw and heard.'" And that - he continued - "gives us strength, give us the strength to bear witness to the life and faith that we receive is the gift that the Lord gives to all people."
Source: http://triregnum.blogspot.co.at/2013/04/pope-recalls-church-of-martyrs-and-asks.html