Nigeria: Priest abducted in the Archdiocese of Kaduna

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 …

Red Week 2025: A global cry for religious freedom

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 …

Burkina Faso: Two dioceses hit by new wave of attacks

The international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) expresses its deep concern and sadness over the renewed upsurge in terrorism in the Dioceses of Nouna and Fada N’Gourma, respectively in the northeast and southeast of Burkina Faso. Over the past few weeks, civilians and members of the Church have once again suffered …

Religious Freedom: A global victim of authoritarianism, extremism, and war

“Religious freedom is a human right, not a privilege.” Rome-Montreal, October 21, 2025 – The international pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) launched its biennial report “Religious Freedom in the World 2025” today, 21 October 21, 2025, offering a global overview of the state of this fundamental right. The study, covering the …

Save the date! Red Wednesday on November 19, 2025

Register your event today! Montreal, October 17, 2025 — Save the date! The 2025 edition of Red Wednesday in Canada will be held on Wednesday, November 19, under the theme “You are the voice of persecuted Christians.” Red Wednesday is an international initiative led by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that aims to …

Pope Leo XIV calls for renewed commitment to defend religious freedom and stand with persecuted Christians worldwide

The Holy Father receives Aid to the Church in Need in private audience This morning, October 10, 2025, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International in a private audience at the Vatican, marking 25 years of the charity’s continued mission to defend the right to religious …

Catholic University in Erbil is celebrating ten years: Bravo!

Ten years of bringing hope and fostering coexistence in Iraq In 2014, Yohana Al-Zebbaree was a pre-teen boy from a Chaldean Catholic family living in the northern Iraqi city of Duhok when jihadists from the Islamic State (IS) overran Mosul and began expanding their control over large parts of northern Iraq. “I remember the night …

Aid to the Church in Need denounces new massacre in Ntoyo

The situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo is deteriorating. International Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) expresses its deep concern and solidarity with the families of the victims of a brutal attack carried out on September 8 and 9 in Ntoyo, in the parish of Saint Joseph of …

“No one can silence the voice or erase the love of the martyrs,” says Pope

Aid to the Church in Need International executive president Regina Lynch says the organization is proud to support those who are persecuted or even make the ultimate sacrifice for their faith. (Cover: Mosaic in the heart of St. Paul out of the Walls, representing Jesus-Christ and the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul). Pope Leo XIV …

Memory of the Martyrs: The Vatican Shares the Stories of 1,624 Christians murdered for Their Faith

An ecumenical memorial tribute will be held this Sunday in Rome, but the names will not be released at this time. (Banner photo: some of the victims of the church attacks in Pakistan in March 2015). A Vatican commission comprising historians, theologians, and other experts has documented the stories of over 1,600 men and women …