Venezuela – Bishops encourage citizens to vote in upcoming elections

“The Venezuelan people know that the future is in their hands.” In a joint statement, the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (Conferencia Episcopal Venezolana – CEV) highlights the crucial role of the people in defining the country’s future in the elections scheduled for July 28. Venezuela is preparing for presidential elections in 2024 and legislative elections in …

Dominican Republic – Faith and hope in the bateyes

In Batey 5, a peripheral area of the Diocese of Barahona on the border with Haiti, three missionaries, with the support of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), help fight poverty and social exclusion in the neediest parish in one of the poorest dioceses in the Dominican Republic. Not far from the luxurious resorts …

Congo-Brazzaville: A forgotten Church

In December, Maxime François-Marsal, head of section for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)’s French-speaking countries in Central Africa, travelled to Congo-Brazzaville, also known as the Republic of the Congo—a nation which borders Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In this interview, he speaks about the situation of …

Africa: Poverty, main driver of migration

A bishop from Equatorial Guinea reflects on the causes and consequences of migration on the African continent and calls for a more effective focus on the fight against poverty and illegal emigration. At least 8,565 people died on migratory routes all over the world in 2023, making it the deadliest year on record, according to …

Brazil-Rapid urbanization poses pastoral challenges in the Amazon

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is helping the local Church serve new and growing communities of people who are moving from rural to urban areas, often in poor conditions. Millions of people continue to flock from rural areas in the remote Amazon region of Brazil to larger cities, hoping to find a better …

Near-East-Fighting to ensure that the testimony of Jesus Christ lives on

For years, Syria and Lebanon have witnessed a steady haemorrhaging of their Christian populations. Through its engagement in multiple projects, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is actively campaigning against the exodus of Christians. “I would like to get out of Syria as quickly as possible and join my father in the Netherlands, where …

Cardinal Nzapalainga: “As a Christian, I must hear and see things differently.”

During an interview at the international head office of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga from the Diocese of Bangui spoke about the attitude a Christian must have in the face of suffering as well as towards sisters and brothers in need. He also shared his experiences from the Synod on …

Syria – The death toll rises in a country already in ruins

PRESS RELEASE Königstein-Montreal, February 6, 2023—“According to the first information we have received from our partners, the February 6 earthquakes that devastated parts of Turkey have also affected Christian communities in Syria,” says Marie-Claude Lalonde, National Director of Aid to the Church in Need Canada (ACN). “We ask all our benefactors to pray for all …