Aid to the Church in Need expresses its deepest concern and sorrow following the kidnapping and subsequent killing of the catechist Édouard Yougbare from the parish of Saatenga in Fada Gourma, Burkina Faso. The catechist was abducted last night by terrorists and his lifeless body was found near Zigni this morning. According to local sources …
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A bishop in Pakistan has expressed his disappointment with the authorities for failing to bring to justice those behind one of the country’s worst attacks against Christians – and for not doing enough to help victims. Highlighting the growing fears of his people, Bishop Joseph Indrias Rehmat of Faisalabad said that more than seven …
Continue reading “Pakistan – Still no justice for Jaranwala victims”
With elections only weeks away in the world’s most populated country, local human rights organizations are warning of a rise in intolerance and of attacks on religious freedom. The international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) expresses its deep concern over reports that are emerging from India, pointing to an increase in …
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“The courage of the martyrs, the witness of the martyrs, is a blessing for everyone,” the Holy Father reflects in The Pope Video for March. This video is being promoted by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, produced in collaboration with Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which support Christians wherever they are …
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 …
Almost 30 Christians were killed or kidnapped in different incidents in three different countries over the past few days. Fifteen Christians were killed and two wounded in an attack on Catholics in Essakane, in the Diocese of Dori, Burkina Faso. The attack, which took place on Sunday, 25 February, was carried out by terrorists who …
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 …
Between January and the end of December 2023, the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, suffered 119 attacks against the settled populations by Fulani herdsmen. According to a report sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), over 400 people were killed, and more than 100 others were wounded, raped, or …
Continue reading “Nigeria: In 2023, attacks caused over 500 victims in Nigeria’s Benue State”
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, …
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Dozens of priests arrested in 2023 Thirteen priests and one religious brother were murdered in 2023, though half were killed for reasons apparently unrelated to persecution. Arrests increased, while kidnappings of clergy and religious dropped compared to 2022. Nonetheless, these cases remain a serious concern, especially in Africa. According to the numbers collected by Pontifical …
Continue reading “Authoritarian regimes crack down on Church”
