CHILE - ACN rebuilds Sotaqui presbytery destroyed by earthquake In the 19th century, in Sotaquí, lived an elderly and very holy woman. Her name was Antonia Pizarro. Having a profound knowledge of herbal remedies, she was able to help many sick people. One day, as she was on her way to [...]
MALI - Several countries unite in search for kidnapped Franciscan Sister On 7 February, Sister Gloria Cecilia Narvaez Argoti, a Colombian nun of the congregation of Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate, was abducted in the village of Karangasso, some 400 kilometers east of Bamako in Mali. The kidnappers said that they would [...]
SYRIA - Crisis continues despite ceasefire A Sister helping Christian families in war-torn Syria has revealed the severity of the on-going crisis across the country – despite the holding ceasefire. Speaking at Aid to the Church in Need’s Area Secretary Conference 2017 at the Karios Centre, Roehampton, Sister Annie Demerjian of the [...]
PAKISTAN -Hundreds of Christian girls kidnapped and forced to marry Muslims Pakistani Human rights activists say that Punjab police are covering up the systemic abuse and kidnapping of Christian girls. Over 1,000 abduction cases are filed every year in the province.Haider Ashraf, the deputy inspector general of operations for the police [...]
SOUTH SUDAN - Bishops send a message of hope and courage to the suffering population After their meeting in Juba from 21st to 23rd February 2017, along with the Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan and Kenya, Archbishop Charles Daniel Balvo, the South Sudanese bishops respond to the disturbing reports from all seven [...]
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLICCardinal tours country to encourage peace Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, the Archbishop of Bangui, is currently travelling through all the dioceses of the Central African Republic. His tour began two weeks ago in the diocese of Bouar in the north-west of the country. While there, from 22 to 24 February, [...]
Pope Francis may visit South Sudan During his historic visit to Italy’s largest Anglican congregation, Pope Francis confided that he is seriously thinking of visiting the African country scourged by war and great famine, which affects almost half of the population.While discussing “better and more creative” relations between Catholics and Anglicans [...]
ACN supports Pope Francis' call to pray for people persecuted for their faith THE POPE'S PRAYER INTENTIONS for March 2017: “That persecuted Christians may be supported by the prayers and material help of the whole Church.”The March edition of The Pope Video, produced by The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network and [...]
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO New upsurge of violence against the Church In a message sent to Aid to the Church in Need by the national bishops’ conference of the Congo (CENCO), Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, the Archbishop of Kinshasa, denounces the ”alarming security situation” in his country, following new [...]
MALAYSIA - Christians worried as thousands rally to support Sharia law Religious minorities are worried as thousands of Malaysians rallied in Kuala Lumpur to support the adoption of Islamic law. Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, deputy president of the hardline Islamist opposition Parti Islam-se Malaysia (PAS), one of its organisers, said 200,000 people [...]