SYRIA - “The people are afraid that IS will return” Although “Islamic State” (IS) has now been driven out from the Syrian city of Al Qaryatayn, it is unlikely Christians will return quickly. Fr. Jihad Youssed from the Community of al-Khalil, a local Catholic religious order said in an interview Aid [...]
New wave of oppression According to Bob Fu, president of the NGO China Aid, the situation for Christians in China has changed under President Xi Jinping, who took office in 2013. “Officially Christianity was not overtly regarded as a national security threat” under the previous administrations of presidents Jiang Zemin and [...]
After the Earthquake: ACN to offer emergency aid and help rebuild It is 11 am in San Gregorio de Portoviejo and 33 degrees. In the streets of the Ecuadorian city there is an odour of decomposition and burning. A few days before the earthquake, it had rained non-stop for 12 hours [...]
MIDDLE EAST - Vatican and Moscow Patriarchate offer joint help for persecuted Christians Following the historic meeting in Cuba between Pope Francis and Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches have joined forces to provide humanitarian assistance to Christians in the Middle East who have suffered as a result [...]
EU Human Rights Court rules Iranian Christian converts have right to seek asylum The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Iranian Christian converts must be granted the right to a fair evaluation of danger by European governments before they can be denied asylum and sent back [...]
60-year-old Christian woman caned for breaking Sharia law A 60-year-old Christian woman in Indonesia’s Banda Aceh province has been caned for breaking religious laws aimed at Muslims. This is significant because it was the first time a non-Muslim was caned under the province’s harsh Sharia (Islamic) laws and sets a precedent.In other parts [...]
CHINA - Rev Gu released ahead of Chinese president’s meeting with Obama The Chinese government has released Rev. Gu Yuese from prison ahead of President Xi Jinping's scheduled meeting with President Barack Obama. Rev Gu is the former leader of Hangzhou's Chongyi Church, the the largest government sanctioned church in the [...]
India’s bishops urge government to help find Fr Tom Following the circulation of widespread rumors that Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil was crucified on Good Friday, Indian bishops wrote to India’s Prime Minister and government , “soliciting their urgent intervention to ensure the safety of Fr. Tom” and urging greater effort in locating the priest.In [...]
SIERRA LEONE - Minibus for the one and only seminary in the country To this day Sierra Leone is still suffering from the consequences of its bloody civil war. The economy and the infrastructure have been utterly ruined, and over 70% of the population are living in poverty today. And the situation [...]
UKRAINE - Pope Francis praises Ukrainian Greek-Catholics for keeping the faith in difficult circumstances In a meeting with leaders of the Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC) Pope Francis praised their people, saying they were “tireless witnesses of hope” in Christ amid decades of hardships. The UGCC is the [...]