KOREA Call for world prayers for peace and reconciliation Ahead of the inner-Korean summit-meeting, the Holy Father, as well as distinguished representatives of the Korean Church, called for prayers for peace and reconciliation on the peninsula. On Friday, April 27th, the South Korean president Moon Jae-in met North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Panmunjeom,...
PHILIPPINES “The reconstruction of the city of Marawi will take years” Reinhard Backes travelled to the Philippine city of Marawi for the Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need. The Christian minority in the city was suppressed for months by Islamists. He was interviewed by Maximilian Lutz about the relations between Christians...
MEXICO 23rd priest killed while hearing confession Another Catholic priest has killed was Friday 20 April in the west-central Mexican state of Jalisco – the second priest murdered within one week in the country. The Mexican Bishops’ Conference said Fr Juan Miguel Contreras Garcia, 33, was performing the sacrament of penance when attacked at...
NIGERIA “We live in fear” – 2 priests and 15 parishioners killed in attack on church “Living in fear. The Fulani are still around us here in Mbalom. They refuse to go. They still go grazing around us. No weapons to defend ourselves.” These words were written on Facebook in January by Father Joseph Gor,...
CONGO BRAZZAVILLE A priest among the pygmies – the story of an unusual apostolate Father Franck Bango is the parish priest of the first ever pygmy parish in the country, in the diocese Ouesso in the north of the Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville). He lives among the smallest people in the world,...
ALGERIA 4 churches ordered to close in 4 months as pressure against Christians intensifies Another church has been closed down in northern Algeria, as pressure against Christians intensifies. The village church in Azagher, which had been running for over six years, was forced to stop all activities on 2 March. Two weeks before, on...
NIGERIA A child survivor of Fulani attacks tells her story It is common in Nigeria that nomadic herdsmen clash with farmers over the use of land. However, in the past year, in particular, raids by Muslim Fulani herdsmen have become more violent and have targeted Christians. Mysteriously, the herdsmen carry sophisticated weaponry, which has led...
PAKISTAN Archbishop appeals for prayers after yet another attack on Christians A leading Pakistan bishop has appealed for prayer after Christians in Quetta suffered their third attack in five months. Two Christian men – named as Rashid Khalid and Azhar Iqbal – and three others were injured after four attackers on motorbikes started shooting...
MEXICO Death toll rises to 22 as another priest is murdered in his own church Sadly, Mexico is living up to its reputation of being “the most dangerous country in the worlds to be a priest.” Yet another priest, Fr Ruben Alcantara Diaz aged 50, was killed on 18 April at Our Lady of...
SYRIA “We need peace. Please pray for us!” – urgent appeal from Archbishop Arbach Following the latest attacks in Syria, one of the country’s leading bishops has issued an impassioned plea for peace – saying that the country needs prayer and not further violence. Melkite Archbishop Jean Abdou Arbach of Homs, Hama, and Yabroud...
