The international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is in close contact with its local partners in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, the areas worst affected by the floods, and is committed to helping with recovery efforts. Torrential rain has already led to the deaths of around 150 people and …
Category archives: News
Philippines – Strengthening the faith of Catholics in Mindanao
A groundbreaking formation for catechists is set to begin on the island of Mindanao, in the spirit of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement, which marks its 40th anniversary this year. The island has been plagued by interreligious violence and tension for decades, spearheaded by Islamist militant groups. Dozens of catechists will come together to attend a …
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Peru – Genaro, an example of faith and love for Our Lady!
An Irish missionary tells Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the love that the Peruvian people have for Our Lady and how Protestant sects take advantage of the shortage of priests in the country to aggressively convince Catholics to leave the Church. “Oh Father, thanks for visiting. I need to speak to you.” …
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Nigeria – Heroic staff save pupils as gunmen attack Catholic school at night
Hundreds of children have been kidnapped from schools across Nigeria over the past years, but fortunately the latest attack on a catholic school was foiled and nobody was killed or abducted. The quick thinking of a headteacher helped save the lives of sleeping students after armed extremists stormed a secondary school in Nigeria’s Middle Belt …
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Nigeria – Leah Sharibu turns 21 in Boko Haram captivity
A jihadist captive turned 21 today (May 14th), six years after being abducted from her school in Nigeria and held hostage for refusing to renounce her Christian faith. (Cover photo: during a protest in 2018, a banner to request Leah’s liberation). On her birthday, a pastor close to Leah Sharibu’s family called on the Nigerian …
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Burundi – Bishops denounce murders and abductions of citizens, saying the situation “makes one shudder.”
Human rights violations are widespread in Burundi, a small country which borders the much larger Democratic Republic of the Congo. For years, the country has been largely isolated from the outside world. Recently, the Burundian bishops drew attention to the country’s plight, which goes largely unnoticed by the general public. For decades, Burundi – a …
Brutal murders of Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt continue
Local community leaders say that the attacks followed tactics similar to those employed by armed bandits responsible for the Christmas massacres in Nigeria. Religion is a factor in the conflict which also has ethnic and economic roots. (Archive photo: a woman in tears after the attacks of Christmas 2023. This Easter time, the same scenario …
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Sri Lanka-A town stands as a witness to the Resurrection after persecution
Five years after the Easter bombings, thousands of faithful have signed a petition addressed to Cardinal Malcom Ranjith, asking him to open a Cause for Beatification for the 171 Catholics killed in that tragic event. Cover photo: parishioners pray before a statue of the risen Christ, stained with the blood of the martyrs of Easter …
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DRC – “Our country is not for sale!”
Six bishops from the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have written an “assessment of the pastoral and social situation” of the country, following a meeting which took place in Butembo, from April 8-14, and which paints a bleak picture of the state of the country and denounces how “the dignity of …
Africa: Poverty, main driver of migration
A bishop from Equatorial Guinea reflects on the causes and consequences of migration on the African continent and calls for a more effective focus on the fight against poverty and illegal emigration. At least 8,565 people died on migratory routes all over the world in 2023, making it the deadliest year on record, according to …
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