An argument between young people from the Christian village of Al-Suqaylabiyah and the neighbouring village of Al-Qalaa led to terror which could have ended with tragedy. Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has received reports of a violent incident in the predominantly Christian town of Al-Suqaylabiyah, in rural Hama, during which an …
Category archives: Middle-East
Lebanon: 7,465 youth find a much-needed break in summer camps
In Lebanon today, organizing a few days of activities for youth has become an obstacle course. Yet, for the local Church, these camps are more necessary than ever. This summer, Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is funding 61 camps in different regions of Lebanon, benefiting 7,465 children and young people. Local …
Continue reading “Lebanon: 7,465 youth find a much-needed break in summer camps”
Statement by the president of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)
”Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has received with deep concern the urgent appeal issued by His Excellency Archbishop Georges Iskandar, Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of Tyre, regarding the growing insecurity affecting the city of Tyre in Southern Lebanon and, in particular, its historic Old Quarter. At this critical moment, ACN expresses its solidarity …
Continue reading “Statement by the president of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)”
“Your presence is a mission”
New Chaldean Patriarch to Iraqi Christians In a message to Paul III Nona, ACN’s executive president recalled the sufferings of the Chaldean faithful in Iraq, who “have so often been called to bear witness to their Christian faith in times of persecution and suffering.” The new patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church was officially installed …
War brings both hope and despair to Lebanon
Archbishop Hanna Rahme, of Baalbek Deir El-Ahmar, in Lebanon, seeks to keep up evangelization efforts, welcome refugees, live alongside the Shias, and encourage hope in the midst of constant crises and successive wars. The congregation of the Monks of Beit Maroun, Servants of the Cedar of Lebanon, is a new congregation founded in 2019, composed …
Continue reading “War brings both hope and despair to Lebanon”
Christians of Yaroun fear they will never return home
The Christian residents of the south-Lebanese border town of Yaroun are living in fear that they will never be able to return to the land of their ancestors. Fr. Charles Naddaf, the parish priest of the local Greek Catholic Melkite church, spoke to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the community’s concerns. “Yaroun …
Continue reading “Christians of Yaroun fear they will never return home”
ACN mourns Syrian archbishop who never abandoned his flock
Archbishop Jeanbart believed that had it not been for the care of God, the Christians of Syria would have been wiped out during the civil war. It was with sadness that Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) learned of the death of its long-time project partner Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart, aged 83, last …
Continue reading “ACN mourns Syrian archbishop who never abandoned his flock”
“Do not be afraid, just believe”
First interview with new Chaldean Patriarch Amel Shamon Nona In 2015, the then Archbishop of Mosul left for Australia after his entire flock was exiled following the rise of the Islamic State. One decade later, he returns to Iraq, now as the newly elected patriarch of the Chaldean Church. On May 29, His Beatitude Amel …
Holy Land increasingly emptied of Christians
“We dream of reaching even 5%, but we are far from that”. In an address to representatives of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Benedictine Abbot Nikodemus Schnabel offered a stark and personal account of the fragile and rapidly shrinking Christian presence in the Holy Land. The image of Jerusalem as a vibrant heart …
Continue reading “Holy Land increasingly emptied of Christians”
People feel “dehumanized” as Lebanon buckles under bombardment
Among the priorities are reopening schools and paying teachers’ salaries, as these play a crucial role in passing on Christian values in the region. People are feeling “scared, angry and sad” after more than 100 bombs fell across Beirut in a single night, shattering any remaining sense of safety for those still living in their …
Continue reading “People feel “dehumanized” as Lebanon buckles under bombardment”