“Seeing people embrace us and seek comfort in us is a sign that the Church’s mission is to be with the people,” says one Venezuelan seminarian. Germán Jiménez, a seminarian from the Diocese of Petare, Venezuela, is in the final stage of formation before his ordination to the priesthood. From the very first moment following …
Continue reading “Venezuela: Seminarians put theology into practice among the rubble”
Venezuela is in mourning. Pain is everywhere, and the Church is often the only source of hope. “Feelings are very mixed. We are here to accompany, to counsel, and to support those who have suffered human losses, but also the many who have lost their jobs. We commend ourselves to the Lord, asking him to …
Continue reading “Venezuela: A Church and country in mourning”
The superior general of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master, who was due to return to Rome, speaks movingly about the faith displayed by the people amid the tragedy. The double earthquake that struck Venezuela on June 24, claiming more than 3,000 lives and affecting thousands of families, has mobilized the Church throughout the …
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In one of the poorest and most densely populated communities in Caracas, the Church has mobilized to care for the wounded arriving from La Guaira. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has approved an emergency aid package of $150,000 to support the Church’s response to this catastrophe. When Venezuela was struck by deadly earthquakes …
Continue reading “Venezuelan bishop: “Even those who have nothing give everything””
Archbishop Raúl Biord of Caracas, Venezuela, says that the Church is accompanying the victims of the earthquakes while rescue efforts continue. As search and rescue efforts continue, following the devastating earthquakes that shook Venezuela, the Church has begun to deal with the great challenge of accompanying a deeply traumatized population. “For those who survived, it …
Continue reading ““The priority now is to rebuild lives,” says archbishop of Caracas”
Priests celebrate Mass in the street as churches become shelters following deadly earthquakes As rescue teams continue to search for survivors under the rubble following the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, the Catholic Church remains at the centre of the emergency response, opening its doors to those who have lost everything, while …
Continue reading “Venezuela: ACN allocates $150,000 to support Church response to earthquakes”
The Church in Cuba continues to accompany a population marked by fear, uncertainty, and deep need in all areas of life. In a conversation with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Marcelo Arturo González Amador, who is president of the Cuban Bishops’ Conference, describes the dramatic situation the island is currently experiencing. “Cuba …
Continue reading “Head of bishops’ conference asks that Cuba not be forgotten”
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada is launching an emergency campaign for Cuba, where the population is facing an extremely difficult situation. Montreal, February 18, 2026 – Due to the fuel blockade and sanctions against the country, the socio-economic situation, which was already precarious, has become simply unsustainable in Cuba. “According to our …
“Cuba needs reforms, and these are increasingly urgent, but what it does not need is more anguish and pain. No more loss of life or mourning within Cuban families,” say the island’s bishops. During the recitation of the Angelus, on Sunday, February 1, Pope Leo said he has been following “the troubling news regarding an …
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 …
Continue reading “Significant drop in arrests of priests in 2025 but deaths increase”
