15th March 2019 marks the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Syria. The war in Syria has unleashed the greatest humanitarian catastrophe since the Second World War, with some 12 million refugees and internally displaced. Meanwhile, Christians in Syria now represent just 3% of the population, whereas before the war they were...
“In this time of legal darkness, there has been added a literal darkness” The political and economic crisis that is ravaging Venezuela has become even worse in recent days as a result of the electricity blackout that has affected the whole country, 23 different states, since March 7 this year. According to information provided by...
Catherine Ibrahim lives in a camp for displaced persons run by the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. Here, she describes the murder of her husband and abduction of her children – both at the hands of Boko Haram – and her eventual captivity. She told her story to Aid to the Church in...
ANTOINE HADDAD, 19, a member of the Armenian Catholic Church, grew up at the height of the Syrian civil war, amidst chaos and violence. The first bombings of Aleppo destroyed parts of his home. He gives a glimpse of his suffering in this interview with Aid to the Church in Need: “I was in school,...
It’s a sad feeling for Selma, a Syrian displaced person who witnessed the departure of her eldest son for Lebanon. She, and many others, displaced and Syrian refugees, do not want to return to their homes they had to leave hurriedly. In 2011, when terrorists fell on Christian homes in Idlib, Selma’s family fled. Since...
Bishops and priests in the Phillipines have revealed that they have been receiving death-threatening messages largely because they speak out against the extrajudicial killings in the Country. In a press conference at a seminary in Quezon City, Fathers Flavie Villanueva, Albert Alejo, and Robert Reyes said that they have been sent messages threatening to kill...
The Holy Father has appointed His Grace, Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city. With his appointment, Msgr Kaigama will take over from His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan who has clocked the retirement age of 75. The Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, made the announcement yesterday...
Defending and promoting religious freedom is one of the most pressing issues for the international community, according to experts at a Holy See event on March 1 in the Economic and Social Council Chamber at United Nations Headquarters. The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN hosted a conference entitled “International Religious...
In Togo ACN is supporting families grow in mutual love and respect crisis situations, to counter the evils of abortion, the spread of AIDS and build a “culture of life”. The “Fédération Africained’ActionFamiliale” (FAAF, or African Family Life Federation) is an initiative for the support of healthy families and the protection of life and...
This month the Holy Father has asked all to “Pray that Christian communities, especially those who are persecuted, feel that they are close to Christ and have their rights respected.” Making the sign of the cross, reading the Bible, going to Mass on Sunday, talking about Jesus, praying the rosary… These seem like totally...
