Iraq: “Christians are like olive trees. You can burn them, but they will still bear fruit.”

Many feared that the invasion of their homelands would drive Christians from Iraq for good, but ten years after being driven from their homelands by militants of the Islamic State (ISIS), thousands of Christians have returned to houses in the Nineveh Plains rebuilt with the help of ACN, taking with them their love for the …

Iraq – ACN helps Catholic school build a new kindergarten

Thanks to the generosity of Aid to the Church in Need’s benefactors, a growing Catholic school in Erbil was able to open a new kindergarten to accommodate the increasing number of children. Education is vital for the survival of Iraq’s long-suffering Christian community. Economic deprivation and unemployment are at present the biggest issues facing Christians …

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 …

Iraq – “Please God, no more war.”

People in Iraq are terrified that the war in the Holy Land will engulf the region, according to a leading archbishop, who is calling on governments around the world to work to bring peace. These were the words he shared on November 3 during a visit to Westminster Abbey, which John Pontifex of our UK …

Conflict in the Holy Land (2)

Jerusalem, a city of peace in a state of war In East Jerusalem, which is home to around 10,000 Christians, the situation is also very difficult. Around 40% of them are also dependent on the tourism sector, and many have lost their jobs. The tourists have left, and the hotels that are not empty are …

Iraq – Tragic fire at wedding: “We cannot describe the pain,” says archbishop.

What should have been a symbol of hope for Christians in Iraq turned into a moment of despair. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) asks all its benefactors to pray for those who died or were hurt, but also for the Christian community as a whole. The Christian community in Iraq has once again …

Iraq—Patriarch Sako leaves Baghdad in response to the president.

His Eminence Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch and the leader of the Chaldean Church has publicly announced his decision to “withdraw from the patriarchal seat in Baghdad, and go from where I am currently in Istanbul, on a church, mission, to one of the monasteries in Iraqi Kurdistan.” The announcement was made in a statement …

Iraq – Looking for leaders to help rebuild the Church

A gathering of almost 2,000 young Christians in Iraq provides hope for the future and encourages new generations to stay and invest in their country and in their community. International charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) helps make this project a reality. Over 1,800 young Christians from seven archdioceses and over 60 parishes …

Iraq -Bishop Nathanael Nizar at ACN

“We want to be treated with dignity as Iraqi citizens, because we are people of this country.” Twenty years after the fall of the regime led by Saddam Hussein, Christians in Iraq continue to fight for their right to be treated as equal citizens and to live their faith free from persecution. Pope Francis’ visit …

Pope Francis, 10 years in solidarity with persecuted Christians

This past Wednesday, March 8, the Holy Father met with two young Nigerian Christians who were victims of jihadist persecution. (Cover photo: Pope Francis in Iraq, March 2021). On the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ pontificate, Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) highlights the Holy Father’s closeness to Christians who suffer persecution …