People in Iraq are terrified that the war in the Holy Land will engulf the region, according to a leading archbishop, who is calling on governments around the world to work to bring peace. These were the words he shared on November 3 during a visit to Westminster Abbey, which John Pontifex of our UK …
Author archives: mariobard
Philippines – Deadly attack at Marawi university sparks commotion and fear among local Catholic minority
A bomb detonated on Sunday, December 3, during a Catholic Mass at Mindanao State University, in the city of Marawi, in southern Philippines. Local sources say that the explosion took the lives of at least four faithful, leaving over 40 injured. The attack was claimed by a group affiliated with the Islamic State (IS). A …
Mali – German priest freed after over a year in captivity
Fr Ha-Jo was aware of the risks to his safety by continuing to work in Mali, but persisted, driven by a desire to improve the situation for the country overall, and to remain with his small Christian community. A German priest who was kidnapped in Mali over a year ago has finally been freed. Hans-Joachim …
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Aid to the Church in Need supporting Christians in the Holy Land
The pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has committed an aid package of $262,200 to support the Christians of the Holy Land amid the current crisis. This aid will support impoverished Christians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, as well as Christian migrant workers and asylum seekers in …
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Middle East – “If we don’t keep Catholic schools going, the consequences will be serious for the whole country.”
Aid to the Church in Need approves 3.59 million dollars for schools in Lebanon and Syria. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has approved a new aid package for schools in Lebanon and Syria for the 2023-2024 school year. The 3.59-million-dollar package includes school grants for more than 16,000 predominantly Christian pupils from poor …
Centrafrica – “Even if people have forgotten you, God has not forgotten you.”
Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga tours his war-torn country, Central African Republic (CAR), where some young people find it difficult to lay down their weapons and find their way back to school. On his travels to the ‘margins,’ which are particularly close to the heart of Pope Francis, the cardinal feels the pulse of an abandoned population. …
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Burkina Faso – New chapter of suffering for Christians
Murder of two scouts and expulsion of Christians in the northwest of the country Terrorists have forced the Christian population of Débé in Burkina Faso to leave their village. Earlier, they shot dead two scouts in the village church who resisted their orders. This incident was reported by Bishop Prosper B. Ky during a visit …
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Red Wednesday 23 – A Groundswell from Coast to Coast
Press Release – For Immediate ReleaseRed Wednesday 2023 — Persecution of Christians Montréal, Wednesday, November 27, 2023 – Last Wednesday, November 15, in Canada, nearly forty events were held to mark Red Wednesday, not counting people in the Saskatoon area who were invited to attend an ecumenical service last Wednesday, November 22, at the Holy Covenant …
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The Bishop of Tripoli urges international community to end conflict between Israel and Palestine
Holy Land Königstein, Germany/Montreal, Canada – One month after the terrible terrorist attacks by Hamas that led to war in Gaza, the Maronite archbishop of Tripoli, Lebanon, Msgr. Youssef Soueif, calls on the international community to urgently intervene to put an end to the devastating conflict. During a recent visit to the international head office …
India-Church rejoicing that martyrs now on road to sainthood
An Indian archbishop has expressed delight that the Vatican has opened the cause of canonization of martyrs killed during one of the most violent outbreaks of Christian persecution this century. The cause has been opened of Catholic catechist Kanteswar Digal and 34 others who died when Hindutva extremists attacked Christians in Kandhamal, Odisha (formerly …
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