Angola’s bishops hope the pope’s visit will inspire the country’s youth and help heal the past Pope Leo will visit Angola on April 18, as part of a trip to Africa which includes Algeria, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea. Angola is a land of paradoxes; like many African nations, it is rich in natural resources, yet …
Tag archives: Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)
Aid to the Church in Need increases emergency aid to Lebanon
Faced with the recent escalation of the conflict in Lebanon, Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has significantly increased its aid to the country. Currently the focus is on the development of healthcare infrastructure, support for IDPs, and concrete aid for the regions worst affected by the attacks. One of the goals …
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Prayers for Times of Distress
At this moment, the world is experiencing a time of great distress. In addition to the many conflicts and wars already present before February 28, 2026 — in South Sudan, in Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Myanmar, among others — the new crisis in the Middle East has only added to …
Another War in the Holy Land
“We have never faced anything like this,” says a Christian. With yet another blow to regional stability, many Christians in the Holy Land believe it is time to leave. Yet the Church’s mission remains unchanged: to bring hope and dignity to people in their daily lives. The director of the Development Office of the Latin …
Ferdinand Habsburg appointed Secretary General
Ferdinand Habsburg joins ACN International as Secretary General following a successful and international career in the media and education sector. Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International has announced the appointment of Mr. Ferdinand Habsburg as Secretary General. The appointment was formally made by Executive President Regina Lynch on January 13, in …
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Four years of ACN support in war-torn Ukraine
The generosity of countless Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) benefactors, from Canada and elsewhere in the world, has helped keep the Church in Ukraine alive and ready to continue helping those suffering most from the full-scale invasion of 2022. When the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, millions of people …
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Amid a fragile respite, an urgent plea from Gaza before Christmas
The Catholic parish in Gaza prepares for Advent during an unstable ceasefire. From the heart of the devastated city, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli of the Holy Family parish describes a disastrous sanitary situation and a day-to-day existence marked by a scarcity of means for rebuilding. The parish priest calls on the international community to pray for …
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Archbishop Mourad: “The Church in Syria is dying. There is no freedom, religious or otherwise”
The end of Christianity in Syria would be a great loss, because “the Church stands as a reminder to everyone of the ethics of justice and human dignity as a supreme value.” Syriac Catholic Archbishop Jacques Mourad of Homs, Hama and Nabk was recently in Rome as one of those to take part in the …
Rome to host official launch of Religious Freedom Report 2025
Religious and public leaders will gather on October 21 at the Pontifical Patristic Institute Augustinianum in Rome for the worldwide presentation of the latest edition of the Religious Freedom Report (RFR) 2025, prepared by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). The program will include the participation of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican …
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Five years after devastating port blast, Lebanon struggles between trauma and hope
Five years have passed since one of the most devastating moments in Lebanon’s recent history—the Beirut port explosion of August 4, 2020. The blast killed over 200 people, injured more than 7,000, and left entire neighbourhoods in ruins. Around 300,000 people were left homeless. Yet amid the trauma and hardship, many Lebanese cling to faith, …