Syria – Liturgical celebrations and reopening of schools

A new beginning amid hope and uncertainty As Syria marks the first week of the transition to the new regime, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has gathered firsthand testimonies, providing an on-the-ground look at the current situation in key regions, including Homs and Aleppo, where people are dealing with the uncertainties of a …

Ukraine – After 1,000 days of war, “People are tired, very scared, and without hope,” says priest

Despite the danger, a Brazilian missionary priest has stayed in Ukraine since the beginning of the war. Fr. Lucas Perozzi thanks Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) for the help it keeps providing and remains committed to spreading the Gospel. Fr. Lucas Perozzi found himself in Ukraine when Russia began its full-scale assault on …

Aid to the Church in Need dedicates Christmas campaign to persecuted Christians in Burkina Faso

Montreal/Königstein, November 28, 2024 – Press Release Since 2015, Burkina Faso, which is around 25% Christian, has become a hotbed of violent Islamist extremism. Since 2019 in particular, priests, religious, and faithful have been increasingly targeted by terrorists. Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will focus its Christmas campaign this year on …

Lebanon: “They are safe because they are in the house of God”

In northern Beqaa, the convent of the Sisters of Good Service has been transformed into a refuge for more than 800 people fleeing the bombing. The fifteen sisters from the Melkite Greek Catholic Church are welcoming hundreds of internally displaced people there, offering them not just shelter but also comfort and support. Since September 23, …

Mozambique – Bishop recalls “seven years of death and suffering” in Cabo Delgado

Bishop António Juliasse says Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) continues to be a “friendly hand,” standing by the local Church in times of need and since the beginning of the conflict, which has already killed over 5,000 people and displaced over one million. Seven years after the beginning of the Islamist insurgency, the …

Urgent Need in Lebanon – Support from the CCCB

Urgent appeal for support in Lebanon—Joint call for help and prayers, with the support of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). Press release – Highlights – full press release at the bottom of this article, in PDF format. Montreal, 15 October —With the support of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Aid to …

Crisis in Lebanon: Christians open their doors to thousands fleeing bombardments

The Archdiocese of Baalbek-Deir El-Ahmar in the Beqaa Valley, eastern Lebanon, is suffering a major humanitarian and security crisis as a result of the daily Israeli bombardment. In an interview with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Msgr. Hanna Rahmé describes the Church’s solidarity with internally displaced people and the disastrous situation which is …

Lebanon — “People are now living in church halls”

Press Release – For Immediate Release Montreal, September 26, 2024 — Aid to the Church in Need Canada (ACN) is launching an emergency campaign to help people fleeing Southern Lebanon, a region now affected by the war that broke out on October 7. (Cover photo: In June, bombings have already hit southern Lebanon and the …

Burkina Faso: “As a pastor, my heart bleeds”

In only a decade, Burkina Faso has become an epicentre of terrorist violence, with over 40% of the country’s territory outside of government control. The Catholic Church is one of the institutions that provides material and spiritual support in this situation. Two Burkinabe priests from one of the dioceses that has been hardest hit by …

New terrorist attacks in Northern Mozambique cause mass flight of civilians

Cabo Delgado was ravaged by two major militant offensives. Armed groups, allegedly linked to ISIS, targeted the town of Macomia and the villages of Cajerene and Missufine, exacerbating the region’s displacement crisis. As the violence escalates, the Church intensifies its humanitarian response in northern Mozambique. (Cover photo: in 2021, Internally Displaced People (IDPs) already fled …