The Voice of the suffering in Africa

Catechists are pillars of the Church in Burkina Faso, often at risk to their own lives. Despite continuous terrorist threats against them, they assure, in the absence of priests, the continuity of faith in villages and displacement camps. In an interview with ACN, a priest from the Diocese of Kaya explains that being a catechist means giving yourself entirely, guided by unshakable faith and a desire to provide tireless service to the Christian community.   “Catechists are the heroes of the ...

Since 2015, Burkina Faso, which is around 25 percent Christian, has become a hotbed of violent Islamist extremism. Since 2019, in particular, priests, religious, and faithful have been increasingly targeted by terrorists. The Christmas campaign of the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will focus this year on Christians in this West African country, who are subjected to bloody violence on a daily basis, as well as the heroic work of the Catholic Church, which tirelessly ...

Kinga Schierstaedt, project coordinator for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Africa, traveled to the landlocked African nation of South Sudan. Bordering the Republic of Sudan, its larger neighbor to the north, South Sudan has suffered terribly from conflict and civil war in recent years. After returning from her trip, Schierstaedt spoke about the current situation in the country and the role played there by the Church.    South Sudan only gained independence from Sudan in 2011 and has ...

Catholics in the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau held a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the troubled country.   Guinea-Bissau never quite achieved stability following its independence from Portugal in 1975, and division and conflict continue to affect the nation today, fueled largely by rampant corruption and money from the drug trade.   The day of prayer and fasting culminated in two eucharistic celebrations, during which Church leaders called on political authorities to listen to the concerns of the ...

A Nigerian bishop committed to helping families who have fled some of the country’s worst persecution and conflict marks the anniversary of his ordination with a heartfelt message of thanks to a leading Catholic charity.   In the decade since his episcopal ordination, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi has witnessed an explosion in the number of displaced families escaping extremists, including Fulani herdsmen who have seized vast swathes of lands, forcing entire communities to flee their homes.  In response, the bishop ...

Terrorism in eastern Burkina Faso has shaken the Diocese of Fada N’Gourma. Attacks in the parishes of Piéla and Saatenga caused many deaths and significant material destruction, and follow a pattern of terrorist violence that the country has seen since 2015. “The attacks are multiplying. We ask for your fervent prayer. Pray for the victims and for the fearful survivors,” asked a priest from the Diocese of Fada N’Gourma, speaking to the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in ...