The Vatican has officially confirmed that this coming April, Pope Leo will visit Algeria, making this the first-ever visit from a current pope. Leo XIV, who is an Augustinian by formation, will visit Algiers and Hippo Regius – the historical name of Annaba – following in the footsteps of St. Augustine. In this interview with …
Author archives: mariobard
Ukraine: “You did not only give us food, but a taste of God”
In Eastern Ukraine, people have grown numb to the danger of air raids but faith is growing. A bishop tells ACN that “without your help, we would be like refugees.” For much of the world, and even for many people inside Ukraine, the war with Russia began in 2022 with the launch of the full-scale …
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Four years of ACN support in war-torn Ukraine
The generosity of countless Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) benefactors, from Canada and elsewhere in the world, has helped keep the Church in Ukraine alive and ready to continue helping those suffering most from the full-scale invasion of 2022. When the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, millions of people …
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In Cuba, support is essential
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada is launching an emergency campaign for Cuba, where the population is facing an extremely difficult situation. Montreal, February 18, 2026 – Due to the fuel blockade and sanctions against the country, the socio-economic situation, which was already precarious, has become simply unsustainable in Cuba. “According to our …
Church calls for tighter security after 10 slaughtered
According to leading Church figures, over 100 people have been killed and 90,000 displaced in the Taraba State region since September 2025. (Photo of the banner: A man bearing the flag of Nigeria.) Following a fresh massacre, the Church in Nigeria’s Middle Belt has again called for action to address extremist violence. On Tuesday, February …
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Venezuela – Call for unity for national reconciliation
The bishops have asked for the release of political prisoners, for oil revenues to be applied to help the lower classes, and for the country’s sovereignty to be respected. The Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) joins the bishops of Venezuela in their request that all sectors of the country work together …
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Catholic Church steps up pressure on Nigerian government over rising violence
In recent days, several Catholic organizations and dioceses have called on the government to deploy additional military and police personnel to stem the bloodshed and criminality gripping large parts of the country. The Catholic Church in northern Nigeria has intensified its public pressure on the government in recent days following a new wave of attacks …
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Cardinal to ACN: “Whoever does not give people God is giving them too little”
During his first visit to the international headquarters of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) since being made president, Cardinal Koch highlighted the importance of the charity’s defence of religious freedom and its ecumenical dimension. (Photo: In the center, Cardinal Koch with employees of ACN International last February 3rd). Cardinal Kurt Koch, recently named …
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“It is absolutely essential that the war stops”
The Cry of Gaza’s Parish Priest Although the media attention has died down since the ceasefire, the Gaza Strip continues to sink into an unprecedented humanitarian and health crisis. Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Gaza’s Catholic priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, described the “very serious” conditions marked by the daily suffering of …
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Pope Leo XIV echoes Cuban bishops’ warning that fuel blockade could cause “chaos and social violence”
“Cuba needs reforms, and these are increasingly urgent, but what it does not need is more anguish and pain. No more loss of life or mourning within Cuban families,” say the island’s bishops. During the recitation of the Angelus, on Sunday, February 1, Pope Leo said he has been following “the troubling news regarding an …