The Catholic Ordinaries of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (LPJ) have reacted to the ceasefire in Gaza. Please click on the link below to read an unofficial French translation, on the Patriarchate’s website. The official version is available in English and Italian. https://www.lpj.org/en/news/declaration-of-the-catholic-ordinaries-on-the-ceasefire-ingaza2025 Thank you for continuing to pray for lasting peace in the Holy Land.
Author archives: mariobard
Being a priest today: One of the most dangerous missions in the world
The number of priests and religious kidnapped in 2024 increased, while the number arrested for reasons of persecution decreased. In total, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) registered 122 cases impacting priests and religious, including 13 murders, 38 kidnappings, and 71 held under arrest. Ten of these incidents involved women, eight of whom were …
Continue reading “Being a priest today: One of the most dangerous missions in the world”
Cameroon: It’s not weapons which will defeat Boko Haram, but education and hope
The diocese of Maroua-Mokolo in the Far North Region of Cameroon has suffered sporadic attacks from Boko-Haram. Msgr. Bruno Ateba shares with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) his hope for the future through spiritual and educational formation programs, especially for young people and families. He also explains the importance of translating the Bible …
Continue reading “Cameroon: It’s not weapons which will defeat Boko Haram, but education and hope”
North Kivu, DR Congo – A hard Christmas
“Many people are fleeing their villages,” says missionary Fr. Marcelo Oliveira accuses neighbouring countries of instigating the violence taking place in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where rebel groups did not even respect a Christmas truce. (Cover photo: in 2017, victims of M23 set camp in Goma outskirts). Christmas was a difficult …
Nigeria: Memorial Mass for massacred Christians
Just over a year after extremists murdered more than 300 people in coordinated attacks targeting Christian villages in Plateau State, Nigeria, the faithful gathered for a special Mass to remember the victims last Sunday (January 5). Cover photo: December 2023, one of the many funerals service for the victims of the massacre. Bishop Michael Gobal …
Continue reading “Nigeria: Memorial Mass for massacred Christians”
Nigeria: prayers requests for two abducted sisters in Anambra
ATTENTION, update: the two religious sisters were released on January 13. Thank you for your prayers, and please continue to pray for those oppressed by kidnapping. Two religious sisters, Vincentia Nwankwo and Grace Okoli, were abducted this past Tuesday, January 7 in Anambra State in southeastern Nigeria. They belong to the congregation of the Sisters …
Continue reading “Nigeria: prayers requests for two abducted sisters in Anambra”
Murder of Suleman Masih: Christian Community in Gujranwala, Pakistan shaken
The tragic death of Suleman Masih, a 24-year-old Christian, has shocked the local community and once again highlighted the challenges faced by Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. Suleman was attacked on December 29, 2024, in Kot Saadullah, Rahawali, Gujranwala, and succumbed to his injuries on January 1, 2025. According to information provided to …
Continue reading “Murder of Suleman Masih: Christian Community in Gujranwala, Pakistan shaken”
ACN Project of the Week – Chad
Supporting the seminarians of the Apostolic Vicariate of Mongo Chad is a landlocked country in Central Africa, on the southern edge of the Sahara. Its surface area is almost 1.3 million square kilometres (by comparison, Quebec is 1.7 million km²), but with just over 16 million inhabitants, the country is relatively sparsely populated. The majority …
In Haiti, “it’s about surviving,” says Bishop Quesnel of Fort-Liberté
Gang violence, forced migration, and poverty continue to plague Haiti. In an interview with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the Bishop of Fort-Liberté, Quesnel Alphonse, speaks of looting by gangs, the growing influence of Islam, and the trauma of a population that “feels completely lost.” *** The cover photo was taken in 2017. …
Continue reading “In Haiti, “it’s about surviving,” says Bishop Quesnel of Fort-Liberté”
ACN Project of the Week – Republic of Moldova
Support for 21 religious sisters and one brother The Republic of Moldova became independent in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east, north and south, and is among the poorest countries in Europe. Different sources put the population at anywhere between …
Continue reading “ACN Project of the Week – Republic of Moldova”