Aid to the Church in Need welcomes release of priests in Nicaragua

But concerns over lack of religious freedom remain. Nineteen clerics were released and expelled from the country, adding to the dozens of others who have been exiled in the past few years. The restrictions on religious freedom continue in a country where four out of nine dioceses now have bishops living abroad, says Regina Lynch, …

Authoritarian regimes crack down on Church

Dozens of priests arrested in 2023 Thirteen priests and one religious brother were murdered in 2023, though half were killed for reasons apparently unrelated to persecution. Arrests increased, while kidnappings of clergy and religious dropped compared to 2022. Nonetheless, these cases remain a serious concern, especially in Africa. According to the numbers collected by Pontifical …

Brazil: Sowing the seeds of the Gospel in the Amazon

By evangelizing and helping the Ticuna Indigenous people, the Capuchin friars, with support from Aid to the Church in Need, are helping to preserve the Amazon rainforest. “I have never left this place, I know nothing of the world, but I believe in God. He gives me eternal life. I called the friars here to …

ACN to focus on Middle East, Sahel, and Latin America in 2024

Regina Lynch, executive president of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), highlights the worrying increase in religious freedom violations around the world, but also the positive reaction to ACN campaigns such as Red Wednesday and One Million Children Praying the Rosary. You were nominated executive president in April 2023. What is your view for …

Fulani herders kill nearly 200 Christians at Christmas in central Nigeria

Terrorists caused death and destruction during the Christmas holidays among the Christian communities in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Mangu (but Bokkos was the epicentre) Plateau State, central Nigeria. The executive president of ACN, Regina Lynch, regrets yer another episode of violence against Christians in Nigeria. “This year began with the brutal murder of Fr Isaac …

Gaza parish damaged by attacks

As the war rages on, Aid to the Church in Need is saving lives in the Holy Land The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem has confirmed that shrapnel from Israeli army strikes on buildings near the Church of the Holy Family destroyed water tanks and solar panels on the roofs of parish structures this past weekend. …

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 …

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 …

Red Wednesday: one week away!

Press Release – For Immediate Release Montreal/Königstein, November 9, 2023 — For close to 10 years now, several national offices of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) have been highlighting Red Wednesday. In Canada, ACN is kicking off what is known as Red Week (#RedWeek, #SemaineRouge) early. The primary objective is to “shed light …

Attack Kills at Least 16 Christians in Gaza

At least 16 Christians, including 10 from one family, were killed during an attack in Gaza on Thursday evening, 19 October, which provoked the total collapse of a building in the compound of the Greek Orthodox Church. According ACN’s project partners, another 15 Christians are trapped under the debris. The Church of Saint Porphyrios building …