EGYPT “Terrorist attacks will not undermine the unity of the Egyptian community”    “These attacks will not undermine the unity of the Egyptian community.” The words are those of Pope Tawadros II, Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, speaking to a delegation from the Italian [...]

MEXICO Another two young priests murdered   Mexico has been named “the most dangerous place to be a priest”, even worse than Syria, and sadly is living up to its reputation as the violence continues in the first few weeks of 2018. News has emerged that another two priests have [...]

IRAQ UN launches two-year Recovery Programme to fast-track reconstruction   Representatives from neighbouring countries and investors gathered in Kuwait this week to discuss ways to rebuild Iraq’s economy and infrastructure as it begins to recover from a devastating conflict against Islamic State militants who had seized almost a third of [...]

IRAQ  ACN pledges another US $5 million in immediate aid for  displaced Christians to return home “They can only come back if they have help”   To date, 35 percent of the Christian inhabitants of Iraq have returned to their hometowns, as the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in [...]

Beatified Italian war hero "is an example to youth," Pope says Pope Francis commented on the recent beatification of Teresio Olivelli (1916-1945) “He has borne witness to Christ through the love of the weak, and he is united with the long rank of the martyrs of the last century. May [...]

SYRIA Life asserts itself again in Aleppo A large group of Christian university students form a real family in the shadows of war The city district Sahbat Al-Jadida in the eastern part of Aleppo was hard hit by attacks and bombings during the last five years of the war in [...]

EGYPT “Before my father died, he gave me the keys to the church” A 15-year-old Christian, who held her dying father in her arms moments after a Cairo suicide bomb attack by Daesh (ISIS), has spoken about her heart-breaking experience.Marian Nabil Habib told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in [...]

CHILE Helping destitute migrants on the Bolivia-Chile border During his recent visit to Chile, Pope Francis visited Iquique, a coastal city in the north of the country which hosts a large number of economic migrants. They represent a major challenge for the Chilean people. In Pisiga, a frontier post on [...]

CANADA Toronto Cardinal in forefront of religious freedom struggle In a growing controversy that is seen by many as an attack on religious freedom, the Canadian federal government is demanding that applicants for the Canada Summer Jobs Program confirm that they agree with the government’s “core mandate.” According to the [...]

RUSSIA Concrete steps in the spirit of ecumenism   The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has been working to further the dialogue between the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches for 25 years. The director of the foundation’s British national office describes a new joint initiative in [...]