Christians and members of other minorities continue to suffer from systemic discrimination. Blasphemy laws and violence against women and girls are a particular concern. The abuse of Pakistan’s laws against blasphemy and the abduction and forced conversion of girls continue to plague members of minority religions, including Christians in the Asian country. That’s according to the the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), a branch of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference. In a new report, shared with Aid to ...

A bishop in the North African country hopes for change in wake of Leo XIV’s pastoral voyage. There is something about the desert that has always attracted those who long for Christ. Since the first monastics in Egypt, men and women have been leaving the comforts of the city to find God in the wilderness. This same spirit moved St. Charles de Foucauld to leave his native France and establish himself in Tamanrasset, in the Sahara, to be a witness ...

As wars continue to affect the region, ACN is helping to support Christian education all across the Middle East. Keeping schools running is key to preserving Christian communities. September marks the resumption of school for most of the northern hemisphere, but in many regions, including the Middle East, the return to classes is marked by increasing difficulties. The presence of Christian institutions, especially schools, is crucial to keeping Christian communities stable in a Middle East where uncertainty and conflict continue ...

On October 1, between 700 and 1,000 children from schools and parishes in Rome will join the Holy Father in the Vatican Gardens, marking the beginning of the “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” initiative promoted by Aid to the Church in Need. Pope Leo XIV will join hundreds of children in praying the Rosary for peace on October 1 at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens. The event will begin at 5:00 P.M., with the Pope joining the ...

Fr. Román was found dead by the side of the road, with bullet wounds. The region of Huejutla is riddled with criminal organizations involved in all manners of trafficking, including stolen fuel. A priest was shot dead in a remote region in Mexico, on Tuesday, September 15. Father Román de la Cruz was responsible for a small community in a region where criminal groups operate and fight over fuel trafficking routes. He had been parish priest of the Santa Cruz ...

Fr. Luigi Maccalli learned in captivity to forgive and pray for his enemies, following the example of Jesus. In an interview with ACN, he shared his experience. Fr. Pier Luigi Maccalli was working as a missionary in Boamanga, Niger when he was kidnapped by armed men on September 17, 2018, and transported across the border into Mali. He soon realized these were not common criminals, but Islamist fundamentalists. That was the beginning of an ordeal that would change his life. ...