NEPAL – Catholic community fearful after arson attack on Cathedral Königstein/Kathmandu, 28.04.2017 .- On 18 April a deliberate arson attack caused some damage to the rectory attached to the church of the Assumption, the cathedral church of the apostolic vicariate of Nepal, which is situated on the outskirts of the capital Kathmandu. No one...
NIGERIA Is government complicit in the supply of arms to Islamists? Bishop accuses authorities of inaction in face of “wave of terror” A Bishop has accused the authorities in Nigeria of suspected supply of arms to an Islamist terrorist network who he claims have infiltrated federal and state governments. Bishop Joseph Bagobiri of Kafanchan,...
SYRIA – Remains of 5 abducted Christians finally laid to rest Last week, Melkite Catholic Patriarch Gregory III Laham of Antioch finally celebrated the funeral Mass in Damascus for five Syrian Christians who had been abducted in 2013 by Islamist extremist rebels in the city of Maaloula. Following the Mass, their remains were finally laid...
Five Hundred Years Early – reflection on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation On Thursday 20th and Saturday 22nd April 2017, the Otto Philharmonic Orchestra of Berlin, took part in the commemoration of the fifth centenary of the Protestant Reformation in Malta. It was 31st October 1517 when the Augustinian friar, Martin Luther, nailed...
LATVIA – A bright future for the priesthood Latvia lies on the Baltic Sea, sandwiched between its northern neighbour, Estonia, and Lithuania to the south. Lutherans make up the majority of the population, with 55%, but at the same time another quarter of the population living here are Catholics. Although there is a grave...
IRAQ – Returning Christians erect crosses in areas liberated from IS In every village liberated from IS on the Nineveh plain, Christians are erecting wooden crosses and placing them on the roofs of churches and houses as a sign of victory over the darkness of Islamic State. The placement of crosses has become a...
INDIA -Bishops denounce latest incident against Christians India’s Catholic bishops have issued a press release strongly condemning the violent police disruption of a Good Friday service at a small parish in the south of the country. The press release stated: “The Catholic Church in India is very distressed and saddened by the happenings in...
EGYPT – “We need better protection” Coptic Catholic Bishop Kyrillos William of Assiut, Upper Egypt, said he had met state security staff following the Palm Sunday attacks which left 44 dead and more than 120 injured in blasts at St George’s, Tanta and St Mark’s, Alexandria – both Coptic Orthodox churches. Speaking in an...
Aid to the Church in Need helps 3000 young Egyptians to meet Pope Francis in Cairo 3000 young people from all over the country are going on a pilgrimage to Cairo supported by Aid to the Church in Need (CAN) to participate in Pope Francis´ visit to Egypt. Their journey will start on 25th...
“Re-establishing ties with Islam” – interview with Father Samir Father Samir Khalil Samir, a Jesuit priest and specialist in Islam, and a professor at the Institute of Oriental Studies in Rome, visited the Canadian national office of ACN last Thursday (20 April 2017). An Egyptian himself, born in Cairo, he gave us this interview...
