The ACN Journal provides the latest news about Aid to the Church in Need and our work protecting the rights of Christians and supporting the suffering and persecuted Church.
One year on from violence described as the worst ever outbreak of anti-Christian persecution in Pakistan, Church leaders say people are both terrified of more attacks and furious that culprits have not been brought to justice. The Christians of Jaranwala are grateful to ACN benefactors for making it possible for them to receive this very necessary aid from the charity.
Read MoreShagufta Kausar was falsely accused of blasphemy. For almost eight years she was separated from her family, her husband was beaten and tortured, and they were pressured to convert to Islam. Now free, she tells in an interview with Aid to the Church in Need how she found strength in her faith.
Read MoreOur colleague Clodagh Gallagher went to Youth 2000's summer festival, where almost 1,000 Catholics between the ages of 16 and 35 gathered to worship God and encourage one another in Christian community. If you are involved in an event in Ireland and would like us to attend, please email clodagh@acnireland.org.
Read MoreIn a region marked by uncertainty and fear, the parish priest of Gaza City, Fr Gabriel Romanelli, is trying to bring normality through education, providing children in Gaza with hope for a future.
Read MoreIn September this year, Pope Francis will be making his first trip to Papua New Guinea, a country introduced to Christianity only around 70 years ago. See stunning photos of this incredible mission territory, and read how our brothers and sisters there are enthusiastically preparing for his arrival.
Read MoreTen years after Iraqi Christians fled Islamic State forces assaulting their homes, 70,000 Christians have now returned to their ancestral homes in the Nineveh Plains, thanks to the support of Aid To The Church In Need. Take a peek into our archives from 2014 to see the suffering of our Iraqi brothers and sisters, and understand how monumental and joyful this return is.
Read MoreThis year more than 1,600 summer camps for young people are taking place in 18 countries ─ from Egypt and Jordan to Iraq, Georgia and Kazakhstan – thanks to funding by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in the amount of almost 2 million euros. These camps hope to provide hope and joy, and teach a reliance on faith in the most difficult situations.
Read MoreRepresentatives of ACN Ireland are visiting parishes, prayer groups and faith communities all across the country urging people to pray for Christians who are struggling around the world. Would you like to organise a visit to your parish?
Read MoreFor the Catholic Church, Africa is a continent of hope. While religious practice declines across Europe, fervent, lived Christian faith is increasing in African countries; it’s not only the lay faithful growing in number, but priests too. Today, one in every five Catholic priests come from Africa. Statistically, about half of these priests are financially supported in their mission by Aid To The Church In Need - often through Mass stipends.
Read MoreMore than 120,000 Christians sought refuge in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region after Daesh conquered Qaraqosh and other ancient Christian settlements in the Nineveh Plains on 6th August 2014. Around 9,000 Christian families have since returned to their homes – thanks to ACN and other international organisations – but tens of thousands of people remain in exile, living in extreme poverty.
Read MoreThe ancient Christian community in the Holy Land has suffered a “disturbing rise” in attacks including spitting, physical harassment, damage to property and cemeteries, and disruption of services. The findings are part of a report by the Jerusalem-based Rossing Centre, called Attacks on Christians in Israel and East Jerusalem, which examined the increase in hostilities towards churches and their members in 2023.
Read MoreThanks to financial support from ACN, three members of the Missionaries of Saint Mary of Guadalupe are able to commit to serving and evangelising indigenous communities in remote regions of Guatemala. Asked how they ended up there, Sister Aura Marina López says “The parish priest asked for help, so we decided to stay”.
Read More24/07/2024, Author: Sina Hartert
ACN has spoken with Bishop Tesfaselassie Medhin about the terrible human rights violations that occurred in Tigray, Ethiopia from 2020 to 2022 - in particular the sexual violence against women and girls that occurred. Together, ACN and Bishop Medhin are working on projects to help heal the trauma of thousands of people.
Read More30/07/2024, Author: Amélie Berthelin
Plagued for months by gangs that plunder, kidnap and terrorise the population, Haiti continues to fight every day for its survival. In the midst of this terrible situation, the Church in the country remains a beacon of hope, says Fr Baudelarie Martial, a Haitian priest from the Congregation of the Holy Cross.
Read More18/07/2024, Author: Amy Balog
Eight months after more than 300 Christians were massacred on Christmas Eve and three months after another string of attacks over the Easter period, the Nigerian government has failed to keep people safe, according to a priest caring for displaced people.
Read More19/07/2024, Author: Filipe d’Avillez
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, met on Wednesday, 17 July, with a delegation from Aid to the Church in Need in Jerusalem and expressed his gratitude for the help received.
Read More19/07/2024, Author: ACN Press team
The Catholic Church in Belarus is highly involved in pastoral work with children and young people. Every week, hundreds of children attend catechesis, and every year numerous children receive their first Holy Communion. During the Soviet period, the practice of religion was severely restricted, but thanks to the deep faith passed on by grandparents, the Faith still has deep roots.
Read More15/07/2024, Author: Sylvain Dorient
His Beatitude Ibrahim Sidrak, the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, heads the small Coptic Catholic Church, which has around 300,000 faithful. In an interview with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), he shared his concerns and joys over his country, which has become a refuge for many Christians from other countries.
Read MoreA bill approved by the US Congress will go a long way to helping fund efforts to promote religious freedom in countries where it is lacking.
Read MoreThirty years after returning to Bangladesh, the Jesuits are opening a new novitiate on 16 July in the South Asian country, where Christians are a small minority. By allowing the novices to have their initial formation in the local culture and languages, the Jesuits hope to promote vocations.
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