The Voice of the suffering in Africa

Despite the widespread terrorism increasingly affecting Burkina Faso, and though 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.  For most people, Christmas is a time of family reunions, but this is not the case for many seminarians in Burkina Faso. Because of the serious security crisis caused by terrorism, some must forego joining their ...

Cabo Delgado was the area most affected by the fury of Cyclone Chido, which swept through Mozambique early on Sunday, December 15th, after causing destruction in the French archipelago of Mayotte. There are dozens of fatalities, and thousands of people lost everything. They are now 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 leveled.   Once the sun rose ...

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 ...