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”
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 …
Continue reading “ACN to focus on Middle East, Sahel, and Latin America in 2024”
During an interview at the international head office of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga from the Diocese of Bangui spoke about the attitude a Christian must have in the face of suffering as well as towards sisters and brothers in need. He also shared his experiences from the Synod on …
Continue reading “Cardinal Nzapalainga: “As a Christian, I must hear and see things differently.””
Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga tours his war-torn country, Central African Republic (CAR), where some young people find it difficult to lay down their weapons and find their way back to school. On his travels to the ‘margins,’ which are particularly close to the heart of Pope Francis, the cardinal feels the pulse of an abandoned population. …
Continue reading “Centrafrica – “Even if people have forgotten you, God has not forgotten you.””
“Without faith, I couldn’t continue, not even for a minute.” Bethlehem, West Bank/Königstein, Germany/Montreal, Canada – In an interview with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Rony Tabash, a member of a Christian family that has been in Bethlehem for generations, describes how the current conflict is directly impacting the Christian community in the …
The leader of the Catholic Church in Kyrgyzstan was in Mongolia, where Pope Francis spoke of how the littleness of the local churches is not a limitation, but a resource for the universal Church. Father Anthony Corcoran, a Jesuit priest, is the apostolic administrator for the few hundred Catholics who live in Kyrgyzstan. During a …
Continue reading “Mongolia – Pope brings encouragement to all Catholics in Central Asia”
The Philippines is an archipelago in Southeast Asia consisting of 7,641 islands, 2,000 of which are inhabited. The two largest islands, Luzon and Mindanao, account for two thirds of the total surface area and population. The first includes the capital, Manila, and the second is home to most of the Muslim population and has been …
Continue reading “Philippines – Church joyous and dynamic despite challenges”
A Pakistani Christian nurse, who narrowly escaped being lynched by a large mob of people after being accused of blasphemy, has spoken of her joy after arriving in North America to start a new life with her family. Video footage of Tabitha Nazir Gill, now 32, being beaten up by colleagues went viral in early …
Magda Kaczmarek has been with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) for 32 years and is head of projects for Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, and the Balkan countries, where generally, Catholics are a minority. She recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, and in this interview, shares her impressions and what the needs of the …
