CHINA –“We will make the Cross flourish throughout China”   Since late 2013, more than 1,200 crosses have been removed from the churches in Zhejiang Province, China. But the government’s campaign to remove Christian symbols using the excuse of “illegal constructions”  has not succeeded in preventing crosses being displayed in the country. A Catholic priest...

EGYPT – Bishop warns of exponential rise in attacks on Christians   Bishop Angaelos, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, issued a warning about the exponential rise in attacks on Christians in Egypt: “It is regrettable that the time has come yet again to speak of heightened, targeted attacks against Coptic Christians...

Holy See urges UN to protect children in war zones   A recent UN report confirming a worrying increasing in violence against children in conflict zones prompted the Holy See to urge the United Nations and local governments to protect the innocent children from the effects of violent conflict worldwide. The report indicated that tens...

Pope Francis visits refuge for former prostitutes   Pope Francis has visited a special community for women freed from prostitution and violent abuse as his latest ‘Mercy Friday’ initiative during the Jubilee. During his visit to the “Pope John XXIII Community” in Rome, the Pope met the 20 women who are being cared for there,...

SYRIA – A cry for help from Carmelite Sisters in Aleppo   “The situation is a complicated and we are hearing many contradictory stories. The only truth we do know is that the people here are suffering and dying.” The words are those of Sister Anne-Françoise, a French religious of the Enclosed and Apostolic Discalced Carmelite...

THAILAND – Pope inspires parish to plant 800 trees    Catholic parishioners of Mount Carmel Church in Paphanawan, in the far northeastern region of Thailand, have come up with an idea to combat the environmental threats around them, including water shortage. Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical on caring for creation, they decided to plant hundreds of...

“The EU is more concerned about migrants than the country” – message from Mgr George Bugeja   “We are all people of the same God we believe in. In the name of this God we can live in peace like brothers.” This is the message coming from Tripoli sent by Monsignor George Bugeja, OFM, Coadjutor...

Pope Francis prays for victims of recent massacre in Congo   Pope Francis marked the feast of the Assumption of Mary by praying for the dozens of people massacred last weekend in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and decrying the “shameful silence” which surround these attacks. At least 36 civilians were killed late Saturday during...

IRAQ – Ordination of new priests in refugee camp brings joy to displaced Christians there   Three young deacons, who were themselves displaced when ISIS attacked their seminary in Qaraqosh, have just been ordained  priests of the Syriac-Catholic in the large, prefabricated church inside Erbil’s Aishty 2 camp, which is home to 5,500 displaced people forced...

Reflection on the feast of the Assumption two years ago in Erbil   This picture was taken in Erbil by ACN staff, 9 days after ISIS took over the Nineveh Plain and thousands and thousands of people were displaced. “It was amazing and touching to see so much devotion, so much love to Our Lady...