ACN Ireland | Latest News
The ACN Journal provides the latest news about Aid to the Church in Need and our work protecting the rights of Christians and supporting the suering and persecuted Church.
Fighting against emigration to ensure that the testimony of Jesus Christ lives on in the Middle East
For years, Syria and Lebanon have witnessed a steady haemorrhaging of their Christian populations. Through its engagement in multiple projects, ACN is actively campaigning against the exodus of Christians.
SAT-7, a lifeline of faith for Christians in Muslim-majority countries
The ecumenical Christian broadcaster runs several channels, in three different languages, and reaches millions of people with its satellite transmissions.
Huancané: Living the faith in the highest inhabited place in the world
Between coca plantations, illegal gold mining and a lack of vocations, Bishop Giovanni Cefai of the Prelature of the Santiago Apóstol of Huancané speaks about the difficulties of trying to evangelise in such a challenging atmosphere.
Turkey: The forgotten Holy Land
ACN is assisting the Archdiocese of Izmir to maintain the Christian presence in Turkey.
GAZA: “This is a very special Easter, we are closer than ever to the crucified Saviour”
The Christian community in Gaza is facing the most difficult period since the beginning of the war.
Central African Republic: “A shepherd defends his sheep from dangers”
On 23 February 2024, Pope Francis appointed Father Aurelio Gazzera, a long-time friend and partner of ACN, Coadjutor Bishop of the diocese of Bangassou, in the Central African Republic. The 61-year-old Italian Carmelite priest has already worked for 33 years as a missionary in the country, which is repeatedly plagued by violence and unrest.
International Women’s Day: Women keeping Faith and Hope Alive in Ukraine
On International Women’s Day, 8 March, ACN highlights brave wives, sisters, mothers and religious who are helping keep faith and hope alive in war-torn Ukraine.
Burkina Faso: Living with terror in the “land of people of integrity”
An attack in the diocese of Dori, on Sunday 25 February, was just the latest in a string of terror strikes in Burkina Faso. Faced with persecution, the Church responds with charity and hope.
Pope Francis prays for the martyrs in his March video: Their witness “is a blessing for everyone.”
ACN International Executive President Regina Lynch: “Guaranteeing the right to practice the faith is crucial, as a component of the dignity of every human being.”
Bishop describes fleeing masses in northern Mozambique
The Bishop of Pemba says the situation caused by the jihadist insurgency is at its worst point but fears that worse may still be to come.
A dark weekend of Christian persecution
Almost 30 Christians were killed or kidnapped in different incidents in three different countries over the past few days.
Bishop praises Supreme Court’s commitment to justice for Jaranwala victims
The President of Pakistan’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Samson Shukardin, has welcomed a Supreme Court decision to reject a government report into the authorities’ response to the attacks in Jaranwala last August described by Church leaders as the “worst incident against Christians” in the nation’s history.
Unemployment and discrimination are the biggest challenges facing Christians in the West Bank and Jerusalem
Christians residing in the West Bank and Jerusalem are being confronted with a dire situation as the war in Gaza and escalating tensions between Israelis and Palestinians continue to take their toll, according to recent information received by the international foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
Family is one of the biggest victims of the war – “They are under constant torture” says head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Ten years after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, ACN will dedicate its 2024 Lent campaign to standing by the suffering Church in the country and helping it bring God’s healing love.
Communities and churches attacked as insurgency intensifies in Cabo Delgado in Mozambique
Missionaries, priests and religious sisters have been forced to flee from remote towns and villages to Pemba and other large cities, which are overwhelmed with displaced people.
Argentinian Patagonia: Mission country
The Church in Patagonia faces unique challenges, marked by vast distances, remarkable diversity and lack of resources. One of the bishops overseeing the Church's development in this vast territory of Argentina is Mgr Roberto Álvarez, who sat down with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) to share his dreams and difficulties.
Thirty Christians have died in the Gaza Strip as the humanitarian situation worsens.
According to sources contacted by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the humanitarian situation and living conditions for the small Christian community which remains in the Gaza Strip have deteriorated over the past months. In the four months since the beginning of the conflict, thirty Christians have died in Gaza.
Sahel: ACN comes to the aid of Christians displaced by terror
The international charity Aid to the Church in Need has stepped up the provision of aid to the Sahel region following a deterioration of the security situation there over many years. Despite persecution, the number of Christians in the region is increasing.
Venezuela marks 140 years of the first Lourdes pilgrimage in the Americas
The pilgrimage was instituted in 1884 by Fr Machado, the Venezuelan priest in the Diocese of La Guaira, after returning from a trip to the famous shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes in France. Tony Pereira, a lay member of the current organising committee, spoke to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the origins and the importance of this devotion.
Syria: “The situation is intolerable”
On the first anniversary of the earthquake, a bishop in Aleppo calls for an end to sanctions and appeals to people not to forget the country.