Brazil-Rapid urbanization poses pastoral challenges in the Amazon

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is helping the local Church serve new and growing communities of people who are moving from rural to urban areas, often in poor conditions. Millions of people continue to flock from rural areas in the remote Amazon region of Brazil to larger cities, hoping to find a better …

Pakistan – Bishop praises Supreme Court’s commitment to justice for Jaranwala victims

The president of Pakistan’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Samson Shukardin, has welcomed a Supreme Court decision to reject a government report into the authorities’ response to the attacks in Jaranwala last August, described by Church leaders as the “worst incident against Christians” in the nation’s history. Speaking to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in …

West Bank and Jerusalem – Unemployment and discrimination among the biggest challenges faced by Christians

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is providing emergency medical and humanitarian aid to the affected families. According to recent information received by the international charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Christians residing in the West Bank and Jerusalem are facing an increasingly dire situation as the war in Gaza and escalating …

ACN Success Story-Madagascar

A church for a parish in the rainforest The parish of Ampangalantsary lies in the east of the island of Madagascar in a region of rainforest. For many years now, the Catholic faithful here have longed for a church of their own, for until recently, they had to walk distances of at least five kilometres …

Aid to the Church in Need welcomes release of priests in Nicaragua

But concerns over lack of religious freedom remain. Nineteen clerics were released and expelled from the country, adding to the dozens of others who have been exiled in the past few years. The restrictions on religious freedom continue in a country where four out of nine dioceses now have bishops living abroad, says Regina Lynch, …

Cardinal Nzapalainga: “As a Christian, I must hear and see things differently.”

During an interview at the international head office of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga from the Diocese of Bangui spoke about the attitude a Christian must have in the face of suffering as well as towards sisters and brothers in need. He also shared his experiences from the Synod on …

Syria: Milad means Christmas

How a little ray of hope brightened the darkness for a family in Damascus during Christmas Even the faces of the seven children look sad and serious. Somewhat tense, they sit next to their parents on the worn-out sofa. The living room is surrounded by bare, light brown walls from which the plaster is crumbling …

Red Wednesday 23 – A Groundswell from Coast to Coast

Press Release – For Immediate ReleaseRed Wednesday 2023 — Persecution of Christians Montréal, Wednesday, November 27, 2023 – Last Wednesday, November 15, in Canada, nearly forty events were held to mark Red Wednesday, not counting people in the Saskatoon area who were invited to attend an ecumenical service last Wednesday, November 22, at the Holy Covenant …

GAZA: “I am heartbroken”, Sister Nabila about the bombing of her school

The plight and suffering of the Christian community in Gaza intensify every day One month after the beginning of the current war in the Holy Land, the consequences for the small Christian community in Gaza can be described as terrible. According to a project partner of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need …

Attack Kills at Least 16 Christians in Gaza

At least 16 Christians, including 10 from one family, were killed during an attack in Gaza on Thursday evening, 19 October, which provoked the total collapse of a building in the compound of the Greek Orthodox Church. According ACN’s project partners, another 15 Christians are trapped under the debris. The Church of Saint Porphyrios building …