Nigeria – Priest calls for the beatification of Pentecost Sunday attack victims

One year after the attack on St. Francis Xavier church in Ondo, Nigeria, none of the culprits have been brought to justice. Victims wear their scars as “badges of honour” and their faith is as strong as ever. A Nigerian priest has called for the beatification of around 40 Christians who were killed in an …

Pakistan – Bishop calls for better security after policeman kills two girls at Catholic school

The attack, which left two dead and six wounded, took place on May 16 at a Catholic school in Sangota, in northeastern Pakistan. (Cover Photo: Archive of 2018, in St. Joseph Primary School, Rawalpindi) A police officer who was doing security work for a Catholic school for girls in northeastern Pakistan opened fire on a …

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 …

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 …

“Without Christians… there will not be a peaceful and harmonious Lebanon.”

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) supports the formation of seminarians all over the world. In Lebanon, this is about more than just preparing men to be good priests; it has to do with guaranteeing a peaceful future for the country, and a stable environment in which Christians can thrive. The Maronite Patriarchal Seminary …

“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 …

Pakistan-Abductions and forced conversions of young Christian women increasing

Head of Justice and Peace Commission sees little progress in religious freedom. The director of the Catholic National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) in Pakistan, Father Emmanuel Yousaf (Mani), says abductions and forced conversions of young women from Christian minorities are on the rise. “The problem is becoming more acute day by day,” the …

Christians in Nigeria – Unwavering Persistence and Hope

Videos and Magazine present an overview of their situation Press Release Montreal, Wednesday, April 19, 2023 –Aid to the Church in Need Canada (ACN) is in the midst of a campaign for the persecuted Church in Nigeria and is encouraging people to donate generously. “On Holy Saturday, April 8, more than 35 people (with some …

Pakistan: Justice served at last

A Christian man in Pakistan, who languished in jail for nearly eight years, has been released after he was acquitted by a court in Lahore. Humayun Allahrakha (formerly known as Humayun Faisal Masih), now 32, was burning newspaper in Sanda, a town in Lahore District, in May 2015 when Muslim onlookers accused him of blasphemy, …