Authorities target believers as number of Christians increases significantly Throughout the past year the Communist Party has been shutting down churches across several provinces in China, targeting what it claimed were unregistered churches, or church buildings that allegedly violated building codes. In particular, police have been tearing down crosses on church roofs and arresting or imprisoning...
BRAZIL A car for a community of religious sisters who help the poor in the slums of Sao Mateus Sao Mateus is a town in the state of Maranhao in north-east Brazil. It has a population of 40,000. Unemployment is high here, educational opportunities for children and young people are poor, healthcare provision is...
Should Christians still celebrate Christmas? Many Christians today feel that one of the Church’s most sacred festivals has been hijacked by commercialism and even by those of other faiths…. or none at all. With the current emphasis on Santa, feasting, parties and expensive gifts there is sincere cause for concern that the true, spiritual...
“Living stones become dead ones” Terror and violence convulse the Holy Land – this impacts the Christians For weeks now violence between Israelis and Palestinians has been convulsing the Holy Land. Jerusalem in particular is again in the centre of the conflict. At the beginning of September, as in the previous year, conflicts...
NEPAL – Political situation hinders aid and reconstruction after devastating earthquake Reconstruction efforts continue several months after devastating earthquake Seven months ago a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal, claiming the lives of more than 9000 people and causing extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure. Although only less than 1% of the population in...
“It is important to pray for peace and reconciliation in Korea” Aid to the Church in Need President Cardinal Mauro Piacenza opened the new office of Aid to the Church in Need in Seoul– and visited the demarcation line between South and North Korea Following his visit to South Korea, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza talked...
Christian churches flourish despite the threat of Christianity being eradicated in the Middle East Although Aid to the Church in Need says , barring significant intervention on the part of world powers to end the current persecution, Christians could be wiped out from the Middle East in ten years, the situation in the UAE...
Iraqi Christians have now lost all hope of returning to their homes ” Christians have now lost any hope of returning soon to their homes.” So the Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil, Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda, described the mood of his faithful during a visit to the headquarters of Aid to the Church in Need...
Pope Francis inaugurates special Year of Mercy on 8 Dec Pope Francis inaugurated a special Year of Mercy at the Vatican on Tuesday by pushing open the huge bronze “Holy Door” that leads into St Peter’s Basilica, to the right of the main entrance. The Door has not been opened since the last Year...
Syria 26.10.2015 Aleppo, Syria, the Church is rebuilding lives—quite literally Abboud Banna is one of Aleppo’s unlucky ones. The home of this 74-year-old Melkite Catholic was severely damaged in a recent bombing attack on the Christian quarter of Syria’s largest city. Along with his wife Zakieh-Asmar (75)—who suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease—and his single...
