Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has come to the aid of islanders in the Bay of Bengal who could not afford to finish building chapels in rural areas with no priests. Bishop Alex Dias explained how parishioners in his Diocese of Port Blair, which covers the Andaman and Nicobar islands, have […]
A leading Catholic bishop in Iraq has spoken of his people’s shock and courage after a car bomb outside a church left 13 people injured. Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk said he and his faithful “will never stop witnessing to Christ” in spite of the bomb which went off directly outside the Holy Family Syrian […]
The peaceful creation of South Sudan bodes well for the fledgling nation, but disaster could yet unfold unless serious issues are addressed quickly, according to leading bishops in the region. Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala hailed the success of formalities on Saturday, July 9th, marking the independence of South Sudan, describing it as a “wonderful day […]
Christians are serving as a bridge to Islam in northern Iraq, according to a cofounder of the “Initiative Christian Orient.” Speaking in an interview with international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Professor Hans Hollerweger told ACN, “In northern Iraq Christians are a bridge to Islam. Hence the West must do […]
Obtaining permission to build new churches in Egypt could become almost as easy as constructing mosques, according to new government proposals which have won the backing of leading clergy. The plan, now in public consultation, proposes to do away with the existing laws whereby church-building plans require permission from the president himself. Instead, such proposals […]
A Catholic bishop in Sudan has warned of a possible new genocide in the country. In an interview with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Macram Max Gassis of El Obeid Diocese warned of further problems in South Kordofan, on the border between north and south Sudan, where there has been […]
Dozens of churches in Indonesia come under attack every year and the country’s president is failing to take action to stop it – according to a leading Catholic peace activist who has produced a report describing the scale of the problem. Since 2006, more than 200 attacks on churches have been recorded by the Indonesian […]
The Syrian government must resist the uprising — and has the people’s backing in quelling forces seeking “destabilization and Islamization” — according to one of the country’s most respected Catholic bishops. In a strongly worded defense of President Bashar al-Assad’s response to the protests and instability, Bishop Antoine Audo accused the media, including the BBC and Al […]
Monks living at an important biblical site will be leaving their earthquake-prone monastery for a new home – thanks to help from Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). ACN, which is helping with the building of a new monastery in Tabgha, Israel, received a progress update on the construction work from Fr. […]
Bishop Matthias Ssekamanya of Lugazi warned of a rapid growth in Islamic influence in Uganda during a visit to the headquarters of the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). According to Bishop Ssekamanya, Arab states like Libya are investing increasingly in Uganda, and Muslims have gained key positions in a […]
The recent murder of a Christian in the north-Iraqi town of Kirkuk has again instilled terror in the small community. Ashur lssa Yaqub, a 29 year old working class citizen, was found dead by the police on Monday morning after being kidnapped Friday night. His body was badly mutilated and his ear severed after his […]
Following the violent attacks on Christian churches in Cairo last weekend, the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, Cardinal Antonios Naguib has spoken of a “very serious situation,” but one not without hope. Last Sunday, May 9, the president of the Sunni Al Azhar University in Cairo issued a joint declaration, together with representatives of all […]
A curfew failed to deter Christians in Mosul, who walked for up to an hour to attend a packed Good Friday service in one of Iraq’s most dangerous cities Archbishop Amil Nona of Mosul presided at the liturgy at St. Paul’s Chaldean Church which people reached on foot after a curfew on cars and other […]
Outbreaks of violence in key regions of South Sudan will not block the path to independence, according to a Catholic leader who has called on the government to address the “root causes” of the conflict. Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Adwok Kur of Khartoum highlighted the “large amounts of violent incidents” in South Sudan, which is preparing […]
In a recent interview, Father Raymond Abdo, the Provincial of the Discalced Carmelite Fathers in Lebanon, said that the most important thing that can be done for Christians in the Middle East is to help them not to emigrate, because everyone from the East should “bear witness to the Faith in the East.” Speaking to […]
The outlook for Christians in Pakistan is bleak according to the country’s Catholic leader, who described how Shahbaz Bhatti’s death has robbed minority groups of a “great leader” and left them feeling “oppressed, repressed and depressed.” Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore said the murder of the Federal Minister for Minorities showed how extremist religious parties […]
A Haitian bishop has spoken about his plans to rebuild both his earthquake-shattered cathedral and the broken lives of the people in his diocese. Speaking during a visit to the international headquarters of Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Launay Saturné of Jacmel described his calling to bring the love of […]
