Unjustly imprisoned for eight years in Pakistan Shagufta Kausar was falsely accused of blasphemy. For almost eight years she was separated from her family, her husband was beaten and tortured, and they were pressured to convert to Islam. Now free, she tells in an interview with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) how she …
Continue reading “Interview — “God was with me in this struggle.””
In September this year, Pope Francis will be making his first trip to Papua New Guinea, a country introduced to Christianity only around 70 years ago. In this corner of the world, Christians are enthusiastically preparing for his arrival with the help of missionaries such as Father Martín Prado from the Institute of the Incarnate …
Continue reading “Christians enthusiastic at forthcoming Papal visit”
His Beatitude Ibrahim Sidrak, the Coptic Catholic patriarch of Alexandria, heads the small Coptic Catholic Church, which has around 300,000 faithful. In an interview with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), he shared his concerns and joys over his country, which has become a refuge for many Christians from other countries. …
On June 4, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of the major political parties in India, won its third election, extending Narendra Damodardas Modi’s tenure as leader of the country. What are the consequences of these results for the Christian community? In this interview, Father Pradeep, a Jesuit from the state of Jharkhand, shares his …
Continue reading “India: The elections and their consequences for Christians”
During his visit to the international head office of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Pavlo Honcharuk of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kharkiv-Zaporizhia spoke with the charity about the situation on the ground. During the discussion, the bishop, who leads one of the largest dioceses in Europe, highlighted the importance of pastoral …
In December, Maxime François-Marsal, head of section for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)’s French-speaking countries in Central Africa, travelled to Congo-Brazzaville, also known as the Republic of the Congo—a nation which borders Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In this interview, he speaks about the situation of …
Benedictine Abbot in the Holy Land Six months after the terrible attacks by Hamas and the beginning of the Israeli offensive in Gaza, Abbot Nikodemus pleas for the conflict to be seen from a humanitarian perspective, transcending religious and political boundaries. (Cover Photo: The roofs of the old city of Jerusalem.) As the Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues …
Continue reading ““I am neither pro-Israel nor pro-Palestine. I am pro-human being.””
The ecumenical Christian broadcaster runs several channels, in three different languages, and reaches millions of people with its satellite transmissions. Christians are a small minority in the Gulf Kingdom of Oman and almost all of them are foreign workers. So when Kurt Johansen, the executive director of Christian broadcaster SAT-7, told his hotel receptionist what …
Continue reading “SAT-7: a lifeline of faith for Christians in Muslim-majority countries”
On Sunday, March 3, 2024, the Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency after armed gangs stormed the national prison in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Haiti is sinking deeper and deeper into chaos. Pastoral life is seriously affected by the violence and the frequent kidnappings, but the faithful are braving the dangers to live their …
Continue reading “Haitian Archbishop: “Our people are a people who want to live””
Central African Republic On February 23, 2024, Pope Francis appointed Father Aurelio Gazzera, a long-time friend and partner of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Bangassou, in the Central African Republic. The 61-year-old Italian Carmelite priest has already worked for 33 years as a missionary in the country, …
Continue reading “A shepherd defending his sheep from danger”
