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 …
Continue reading “Burkina Faso: “As a pastor, my heart bleeds””
The Holy Father thanked Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) for its report which points to a decrease in religious freedom, and said he is praying for all those who are persecuted for their faith. Pope Francis was given a copy of the Religious Freedom in the World Report for 2023, published by the …
In Burkina Faso, Jihadists killed 26 people in a church, many of them Christians. (Cover Photo: in 2022, Jihadist attack in the Minor Seminary St. Kizito where this crucifix was vandalized.) Local sources (that we keep anonymous to preserve their safety) have told the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) of …
Continue reading “Aid to the Church in Need denounces new Islamist massacres”
Unjustly imprisoned for eight years in Pakistan Shagufta Kausar was falsely accused of blasphemy. For almost eight years she was separated from her family, her husband was beaten and tortured, and they were pressured to convert to Islam. Now free, she tells in an interview with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) how she …
Continue reading “Interview — “God was with me in this struggle.””
One year on from violence described as the worst outbreak of anti-Christian persecution in Pakistan, Church leaders say people are both terrified of more attacks and furious that felons have not been brought to justice. Leading clergy in the Diocese of Faisalabad reported that security services warned Christians in Jaranwala against holding outdoor events today …
Continue reading “Jaranwala one year later – no justice, no safety “
Story written by Maria Lozano, director of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International’s Press and Media Department. In it, we read the testimonies of the people that the ACN delegation was able to meet, shortly after the invasion of the Nineveh Plains by the Islamic State (IS). Here is Part 2, in which …
Continue reading “Iraq, August 6, 2014: one story, one hundred thousand faces (2)”
Story written by Maria Lozano, director of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International’s Press and Media Department. In it, we read the testimonies of the people that the ACN delegation was able to meet, shortly after the invasion of the Nineveh Plains by the Islamic State (IS). In this first part, we recall …
Continue reading “Iraq, August 6, 2014: one story, one hundred thousand faces (1)”
An amendment to the Christian Marriage Act means that girls and boys cannot marry below the age of 18. Though only a first step, this could make it easier to curb cases of abduction and forced marriage of Christian girls in the country. The Catholic Church in Pakistan has applauded the signing into law of …
Continue reading “Pakistan: Church leaders applaud change to minimum marriage age”
His Beatitude Ibrahim Sidrak, the Coptic Catholic patriarch of Alexandria, heads the small Coptic Catholic Church, which has around 300,000 faithful. In an interview with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), he shared his concerns and joys over his country, which has become a refuge for many Christians from other countries. …
On June 4, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of the major political parties in India, won its third election, extending Narendra Damodardas Modi’s tenure as leader of the country. What are the consequences of these results for the Christian community? In this interview, Father Pradeep, a Jesuit from the state of Jharkhand, shares his …
Continue reading “India: The elections and their consequences for Christians”
