Billions of people live in countries where religious freedom is not respected, according to the latest edition of the Religious Freedom in the World Report. Montreal, April 30, 2026 – Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) continues to collect signatures for its international petition in defence of religious freedom and the full implementation of …
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The bishop of Wukari tells ACN about the suffering of his people and says that the federal government of Nigeria must do more to stop violence. The Diocese of Wukari, in Taraba State, in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, is experiencing a severe security crisis caused by armed groups composed mostly of the Fulani ethnic group. “In …
Continue reading “Nigeria: “We are part of the martyrdom of the 21st century””
The return of war to the Middle East has reopened old wounds and many Christians are again contemplating leaving the region. A drone strike last Wednesday (4 March) damaged Church-owned buildings in Ankawa, the Christian-majority district of Erbil in northern Iraq, raising fresh fears among local Christians about their future in the region amid escalating …
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The number of kidnappings also dropped slightly compared to 2024 but remains a major problem in parts of Africa. Fewer priests were arrested or kidnapped in 2025 compared to 2024, but the numbers remain worrying in many parts of the world according to data collected by the international organization Aid to the Church in Need …
Continue reading “Significant drop in arrests of priests in 2025 but deaths increase”
Cardinal Parolin tells “heroic” Christians in Mozambique In a risky trip to Cabo Delgado, home to a ruthless jihadist violence, the Vatican’s Secretary of State thanked the work of Aid to the Church in Need. Cardinal Pietro Parolin recently concluded a trip to Cabo Delgado, an insurgency-ridden region in Mozambique, where he met with the …
Catholic Bishops of Nigeria warn of escalating violence and call for urgent action to protect life and religious freedom (Cover Photo, archive: displaced women by the violence in Nigeria, 2023.) Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) echoes the urgent appeal of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), which warns of the deepening security …
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An estimated 128,000 people have had to flee the affected region, according to UN estimates. Photo: Displaced women (2024). At least four Christians were murdered by jihadists in northern Mozambique over the past days, in the latest wave of attacks of an insurgency which began in 2017. Although the insurgency began in Cabo Delgado Province, …
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The attack represents “a major blow to the education of young girls, which is already quite rare in these parts of the country,” say local sources. The abduction of around 25 students from the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, in Nigeria’s north-western state of Kebbi, has plunged the community into deep shock. A …
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The West African nation has been classified as suffering from severe, systematic and ongoing religious freedom violations. (Cover image: AI-generated image for illustrative purposes only). Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has received an official communication from the Archdiocese of Kaduna, Nigeria, reporting the abduction of a priest following a violent attack on the …
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Press Release – For Immediate Release Königstein-Montreal, November 12, 2025 – Over half a million people are expected to take part in ACN’s Red Week 2025 while more than 600 churches will be illuminated in red for faith, religious freedom, and in memory of persecuted Christians. In Canada, around 60 activities have already been announced …
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