NIGERIA Boko Haram abduct another 110 schoolgirls Nigeria’s government has acknowledged that 110 girls are missing nearly a week after Boko Haram militants attacked their town. Information minister Lai Mohammed issued a statement about the missing girls on Sunday 25 Feb after holding meetings with family members: “The federal government has confirmed that 110 students...
ITALY Rome’s Coliseum turns red in memory of persecuted Christians Rome’s famous Colosseum was illuminated in red on Saturday 24 Feb to draw attention to the plight of persecuted Christians around the world. The event at 6 p.m. (local time) was the initiative of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the Pontifical Foundation that...
EASTERN EUROPE Church is a ray of hope when state and society offer few prospects Nowadays, the media pays very little attention to the Catholic church in Eastern Europe. However, in many countries, its situation continues to be difficult, at times oppressive and its commitment is often decisive in enabling coexistence. This came to...
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Vocations thrive in the midst of violence It was a touching moment when young Carmelite Christo professed his perpetual vows. His parents led him to the altar, just as the son is handed over to the bride during traditional African nuptials. In this case, the parents gave their son to the church....
MYANMAR (BURMA): ” Myanmar can only cry for its people in exodus” Cardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, has spoken about the sad reality of trafficking of people from his country, which he describes as ‘the epicentre’ of human trafficking. The Burmese Salesian Cardinal said “Myanmar as a country raised the threshold of hope...
SRI LANKA “Fundamentalists see Christianity as a threat” Bishop Noel Emmanuel of the Trincomalee diocese in eastern Sri Lanka has visited the international offices of the Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Germany. In May 2009 the end of a 25-year civil war in Sri Lanka was officially declared. Separatist...
EGYPT “Terrorist attacks will not undermine the unity of the Egyptian community” “These attacks will not undermine the unity of the Egyptian community.” The words are those of Pope Tawadros II, Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, speaking to a delegation from the Italian section of the international Catholic...
MEXICO Another two young priests murdered Mexico has been named “the most dangerous place to be a priest”, even worse than Syria, and sadly is living up to its reputation as the violence continues in the first few weeks of 2018. News has emerged that another two priests have been killed in the early...
IRAQ UN launches two-year Recovery Programme to fast-track reconstruction Representatives from neighbouring countries and investors gathered in Kuwait this week to discuss ways to rebuild Iraq’s economy and infrastructure as it begins to recover from a devastating conflict against Islamic State militants who had seized almost a third of the country.This conflict left thousands...
IRAQ ACN pledges another US $5 million in immediate aid for displaced Christians to return home “They can only come back if they have help” To date, 35 percent of the Christian inhabitants of Iraq have returned to their hometowns, as the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) found out after...
