Red Wednesday 2026 – Save the Date! November 18

Press Release – For Immediate Release Montreal, May 14, 2026– As part of its annual tradition, the Canadian office of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) invites you to mark your calendars for the eighth edition of Red Wednesday, which will take place on Wednesday, November 18. (Banner photo: participants in Saint John XXIII …

ACN’s global petition for religious freedom: Sign now!

Billions of people live in countries where religious freedom is not respected, according to the latest edition of the Religious Freedom in the World Report. Montreal, April 30, 2026 – Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) continues to collect signatures for its international petition in defence of religious freedom and the full implementation of …

Aid to the Church in Need increases emergency aid to Lebanon

Faced with the recent escalation of the conflict in Lebanon, Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has significantly increased its aid to the country. Currently the focus is on the development of healthcare infrastructure, support for IDPs, and concrete aid for the regions worst affected by the attacks. One of the goals …

Ferdinand Habsburg appointed Secretary General

Ferdinand Habsburg joins ACN International as Secretary General following a successful and international career in the media and education sector. Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International has announced the appointment of Mr. Ferdinand Habsburg as Secretary General. The appointment was formally made by Executive President Regina Lynch on January 13, in …

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 …

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 …

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 …

As life returns to normal in Aleppo, trauma lingers and fear remains

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is committed to helping rebuild homes and lives of the Christian community in Syria. Violence in Aleppo, Syria’s second most important city, has subsided following the withdrawal of forces from the Kurdish-led coalition which were occupying two neighbourhoods in defiance of government forces.* Although neither of the parties …

Significant drop in arrests of priests in 2025 but deaths increase

The number of kidnappings also dropped slightly compared to 2024 but remains a major problem in parts of Africa. Fewer priests were arrested or kidnapped in 2025 compared to 2024, but the numbers remain worrying in many parts of the world according to data collected by the international organization Aid to the Church in Need …

Aid to the Church in Need once again launches 24 Hours of Prayer for Peace in Myanmar initiative

The international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is repeating the 24 Hours of Prayer for Peace in Myanmar initiative on February 1. On this date, which marks the fifth anniversary of the beginning of an increasingly violent conflict in the country, ACN invites people around the world to join in prayer …