Dear Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), We would like to share the joy of one event which took place in our church of Saint Anthony in Istanbul- that is assistance to the needy. In time of COVID-19 the community of migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East is one of the most...
The European Union Episcopal Conferences Commission launched a powerful warning last week about the situation of persecution of Christian communities in Nigeria. This entity, which brings together representatives of Catholic episcopal conferences from the 27 member states of the European Union, asks “the entire international community” to “prevent violence” in this African country “and bring criminals...
Over half a million Euros is being allocated for the support of more than 20,000 families in Syria affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The continuing emergency facing Christians in Syria has been further exacerbated by the crisis, and in response Aid to the Church in Need has put into action a new aid programme for...
Pope John Paul II made history during his lifetime and became one of the giants of the 20th century – both in the history of the Church and of the wider world. “Pope John Paul II is a friend of our charity”, wrote Father Werenfried van Straaten, the founder of ACN. “We know him as a...
Maira forced to wed kidnapper and renounce her faith A mother in Pakistan has spoken of her distress after a man struck while the country was in lockdown, abducting the woman’s 14-year-old daughter, forcing her to marry him and abandon her Christian faith. Faisalabad Magistrates Court ruled in favour of Mohamad Nakash, who claimed that...
As the number of people infected with coronavirus in Brazil is increasing fast, and it affects not only the healthcare system but the whole society, a Seminary in Brazil is at the verge of closing down for lack of resources. The minor seminary of San Jose in Juina – Brazil besides being a seminary, in this time...
NGOs and Muslim leaders in Pakistan stand accused of refusing to give COVID-19 emergency aid to Christians and other religious minorities – even though they are among those worst affected by the pandemic. Cecil Shane Chaudhry, Executive Director of the National Commission for Justice and Peace, a Catholic-run human rights organisation, described reports of religious...
On 27 May 1940, the village of Vinkt, located near the Belgian city of Ghent, was the scene of one of the great crimes committed on the Western front during World War II. Eighty-six civilians were executed during a massacre carried out by German troops. Dutch Premonstratensian Father Werenfried van Straaten, founder of the charity Aid...
On the 13th of May 2014, with an International Conference tagged “Can Christianity Survive Persecution?” and an inaugural Mass the day before, officiated by the President of Aid to the Church in Need International, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Malta was born. The events were attended by the then President...
The Catholic diocese of Port Blair in India has approximately 34,000 Catholics, almost all of whom are Nicobarese. The 16 parishes of the diocese are scattered across several islands, and there are over 500 small Christian communities. To travel between islands the priests need boats, and on the islands themselves, the roads are long and...
