Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul: “Our community awaits the arrival of Pope Leo XIV with profound joy and anticipation”

This year, the Church commemorated the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, an important anniversary for the entire Christian world. This November, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Turkey, where the council was held, fulfilling the commitment made by Pope Francis before his death. International Catholic charity Aid to the Church in …

Finland: Extraordinary ecumenism

The small Catholic community keeps on growing year after year, and relations with its Orthodox and Lutheran brothers and sisters are remarkable. Imagine a country the size of Italy with only eight parishes and 29 priests or living 300km away from the closest Catholic church. This is everyday life for Bishop Raimo Ramón Goyarrola Belda …

Mauritania: Accueil-Écoute, a hand extended to the most vulnerable

Through practical support and respect for their dignity, the Church in Nouakchott is showing the face of Christ to migrants. In a context where the Gospel can essentially only be proclaimed through action, the Church in Mauritania, supported by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), reawakens the hope of those who thought they were …

Zimbabwe – Religious sisters the “foot soldiers of Christ”

Bishop Raymond Mupandasekwa told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the Church has been slow to recognize the contribution of sisters to the Church’s work, but that fortunately in Zimbabwe this is beginning to change. The bishop of Masvingo in Zimbabwe says that the Church in his country, and in general, owes a …

ACN Project of the Week – Mexico

Mass intentions for Diocese of Tapachula priests Mexico is a land of contrasts. Some areas are popular tourist destinations, while others are being torn apart by bloody, drug-related warfare and plagued by abductions, extortions, robberies, and murders. And the Catholic Church is not spared this violence. In fact, Mexico is one of the most dangerous …

ACN Project of the Week – Burundi

In Gitega, a vehicle for a parish run by Monfortians Burundi is one of the smallest—but most densely populated (roughly 310 to 422 inhabitants per square foot)—countries in Africa. It has an area of just under 28,000 km² and a population of almost 12 million people. In 2023, the country is considered to be the …