Over 70 bodies were found in a Protestant church in a village in Lubero, North Kivu, on the 15th February, according to local sources contacted by international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

The wide plains of Upper Apure, in southwest Venezuela, are a meeting point for Andean heritage and the identity of the plain dwellers, with a strong indigenous presence and contact with Colombians just across the border. In the middle of this landscape rises the Christ of the Savannah, which has become a symbol of faith, identity and resilience for the Diocese of Guasdualito, which was created only nine years ago, in December 2015, and is supported by Aid to the Church in Need.

Although the country now enjoys a fragile peace, there is still insecurity, leading the bishops in Central African Republic to appeal to the international community not to forget the African nation. The Church, they say, will continue to play its prophetic role. A unique spirit of dialogue and cooperation between Christian and Muslim leaders set the foundations for peace in the Central African Republic (CAR) following a brutal civil war. In this respect, the CAR stands in stark contrast to nearby African countries such as Chad, Nigeria and the Sahel region, where religion is often used to aggravate conflict and persecution.

It is with profound sadness that ACN has received the tragic news of the brutal murder of Father Donald Martin Ye Naing Win, a 44-year-old priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mandalay, in central Myanmar. His lifeless body, mutilated and bearing numerous stab wounds, was found by members of his community on Friday morning in the grounds of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, where he served.

After centuries of prohibition, the small Catholic community of Estonia is returning from the ashes. On 26 September 2024, Pope Francis erected the first diocese in the country. On 1 November of the same year, during an address to the Catholic Church of Estonia to mark the centenary of the creation of its first apostolic administration, Pope Francis congratulated it for being an “example of faith”, despite “decades of suffering, occupation and oppression”, and stated that “this admirable legacy of faith and charity will nurture the current generation of priests, religious and lay faithful”.

Two weeks after the M23 armed group attacked the city of Goma, there is still fighting in the province of North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, leading to a worsening of the humanitarian conditions in the region. A missionary in the country tells ACN that over 2,000 people have been killed, and that the hospitals are overrun with wounded. Even refugee camps have been attacked.

ACN dedicates its Lenten campaign to martyrs of hope: “Martyrs of our days: witnesses of hope” is a call to show solidarity with persecuted Christians around the world. Inspired by Pope Francis’ invitation to celebrate a Jubilee of Hope, this campaign aims to highlight the fact that, despite the persecution they suffer, today’s martyrs continue to be examples of consolation, faith and hope. 

Goma, the capital of the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is in imminent danger of being taken over by the M23 rebels who have taken over the airport and parts of the city. As fighting reportedly continues within the city, the Church fears for the well-being of the innocent civilian population.

When Fr Antonio Polo arrived in Salinas, Ecuador, from his native Italy, over five decades ago, he was not only struck by the beauty of the landscape but also by the difficult conditions in which its inhabitants lived. “There were no roads, no electricity, and the population worked very hard in the salt mines,” he tells ACN. The salt mines themselves had quite an impact on him: the mountains of salt that shone like white cathedrals and the glittering salt mirrors were built with hard working days which put a heavy strain on the health and skin of the workers. 54 years later, he knows his mission is coming to an end, and he has given his life to love and serve people of Salinas, Ecuador.

Being a priest or religious sister today is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. The number of priests and religious kidnapped increased in 2024, while the numbers arrested for reasons of persecution diminished. In total, ACN registered 122 cases impacting priests and religious, including 13 murders, 38 kidnappings and 71 held under arrest. Ten of these incidents involved women, eight of whom were kidnapped and two arrested.

This is a translation of a letter requesting prayer for Burkina Faso, from Bishop Laurent Dabiré at the Bishop’s Conference in Burkina Faso.

We are building a chapel in Golo Popa, a remote outstation in Indonesia with a population of over 1700 Catholics. They have no chapel, and so they gather in the school on Sundays for Holy Mass, but during the weekdays when school is on, they have nowhere to celebrate the Eucharist. With your support, we can finish this building and give them a strong and beautiful House of God to worship Him in.

The Diocese of Maroua-Mokolo in the extreme North of Cameroon has suffered sporadic attacks from Boko Haram. Mgr Bruno Ateba shares with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) his hope for the future through spiritual and educational formation programmes, especially for young people and families. He also explains the importance of translating the Bible into Mafa, a powerful tool to strengthen the faith of a majority Christian tribe.

Christmas was a difficult time for the people of North Kivu, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who have been filled with constant fear and anguish because of the armed groups that are active near the border with Rwanda. In a message to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), a Portuguese Comboni missionary, Fr Marcelo, calls out the militias of “wanting to massacre the population, to take control of the land and steel the natural resources”.

Just over a year after extremists murdered more than 300 people in coordinated attacks targeting Christian villages in Plateau State, Nigeria, the faithful gathered for a special Mass to remember the victims last Sunday (5 January).

Despite the widespread terrorism which is increasingly affecting Burkina Faso, and although priests and catechists are the main targets among pastoral agents, the country has seen a growth in priestly vocations in recent years. Supporting these future priests in their formation is one of ACN’s priorities.

In Lahore, Pakistan, where Christians make up only a small minority in a predominantly Muslim society, Christmas takes on a special meaning. Despite facing significant challenges and restrictions, the Christian community continues to celebrate the birth of Christ with deep faith. Fr Lazar Aslam tells ACN what it’s like being a Catholic there.

The tragic death of Suleman Masih, a 24-year-old Christian, has shocked the local community and once again highlighted the challenges faced by Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. Suleman was attacked on December 29, 2024, in Kot Saadullah, Rahawali, Gujranwala, and succumbed to his injuries on New Year’s Day.

Cabo Delgado was the area most affected by the fury of cyclone Chido, which swept through Mozambique in the early hours of Sunday, 15 December, after causing destruction in the French archipelago of Mayotte. There are dozens of fatalities, thousands of people lost everything, and now are asking how they will survive. In an initial report, the Diocese of Pemba speaks of a “frightening scene of destruction”, and even the IDP camps for victims of terrorism were levelled.

As Syria begins to transition to the new regime, ACN (Aid to the Church in Need) has gathered first-hand testimonies, providing an on-the-ground look at the current situation in key regions, including Homs and Aleppo, where people are dealing the uncertainties of a post-regime time.