Three motorcycles for religious brothers in a rural area The “Rural Missionary Brothers” (Frères Missionnaires des Campagnes) have been working in Africa since 1969. Today, they are present in four West African countries: Togo, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Mali. However, numerous areas of West Africa now face the threat of jihadist terrorism. In Burkina Faso …
Tag archives: Kidnapping
Nigeria-A seminarian burned to death and another kidnapped
Aid to the Church in Need International denounces the latest attack on the Catholic Church in Nigeria, in which a seminarian was burned to death in the diocese of Kafanchan, as well as the kidnapping of another seminarian in southern Kaduna. The terrible incident took place last night, around 8 p.m., Thursday 7 September, when a …
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Nigeria: “Religion should unite us, not divide.”
A Catholic Archbishop who needs guard dogs in the house, and an armed escort when he travels, speaks of the difficulties of carrying out his mission in his diocese. Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso of Kaduna, in north-central Nigeria, leads one of the most dangerous dioceses in the world. You wouldn’t guess it, though, from his smile …
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Christian martyrs become a symbol of ecumenism and friendship between Orthodox and Catholics
The 21 martyrs—20 Egyptian and one Ghanaian—who were killed by Islamic State militants in Libya, in 2015, will be commemorated on the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, making them the first saints to be honoured by both the Coptic Orthodox and Catholic Churches since their split following the Council of Chalcedon in 451AD. In …
“Evil will not have the last word,” says priest about violence against Christians in his country.
Burkina Faso Churches must be guarded so that Christians can pray in safety. Catholic nurses disguise themselves as Muslims so that they can travel to villages to treat patients. Christian girls wear full-face veils to go to school, so as not to be kidnapped. To resist the jihadists in Burkina Faso requires much courage, explains …
Syria – Successors to kidnapped bishops live in hope. “Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
Metropolitan Ephraim Maalouli and Archbishop Mor Boutros Kassis, who lead the Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox communities in Aleppo, Syria, insist that Christians live in hope and continue to feel the presence and inspiration of their two predecessors, abducted by Islamist militants 10 years ago. Christians in Syria, and more specifically in the city of …
“Being a priest in Nigeria includes the danger of being kidnapped.”
Roads are fraught with danger in Northern Nigeria. Besides the risk of kidnapping, accidents are common and can be fatal. A good car would make Fr. Andrew’s mission easier to accomplish. Video of Fr. Andrew explaining why it is important to have a safer mode of transport in #Nigeria. “Being a priest in Nigeria includes …
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Haiti – “painful and outrageous.”
Head of the Clerics of Saint Viator describes kidnapping of priest as “painful and outrageous.” Two priests were abducted in recent weeks in Haiti, a country in the midst of a deep crisis. While one of them managed to escape after several days in the hands of his kidnappers, the other was released on March …
Nigeria-Two Nigerian seminarians recall their time in captivity
They also tell us how one of their brothers paid the price for their freedom. Pius Tabat and Stephen Amos were kidnapped, along with two other seminarians, on January 8, 2020. For several days, they were held in captivity and tortured while their captors tried to extract ransoms from their families. One of the members …
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