The Voice of the suffering in Africa

When Bishop Stephen Nyodho was appointed to the Diocese of Malakal, everything had been destroyed. No buildings, no services, and no flock. With courage and leading by example, he began to rebuild: first trust, and then infrastructure. The city of Malakal, in South Sudan, used to be home to tens of thousands of people before the civil war began in 2013, shortly after the priest Stephen Nyodho moved to Rome for his doctorate. When Pope Francis named Nyodho Bishop of ...

The local Church hopes that there will be a “before and an after” this visit, which comes over four decades after the last. The Church in Equatorial Guinea is in a state of deep hope and spiritual preparation for the upcoming visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, a historic event which coincides with the celebrations of the 170th anniversary of the first evangelization in the country, in 1855. Over 40 years after Pope St. John Paul II’s visit, the ...

Peace is more than the absence of war, say Angolan bishops as Pope Leo visits. Pope Leo XIV will visit Angola on April 18, as part of a trip to Africa which includes Algeria, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea. Angola is a land of paradox. Like so many African nations, it is wealthy in natural resources, but over 30% of its population lives in extreme poverty. The Angolan Catholic Bishops’ Conference in July 2025 denounced “the scandal of hunger” and the ...

After Pope Leo XIV’s historic visit to Algeria, it’s worth asking, “Do Christians there actually have religious liberty?” says a Turkish journalist in a new ACN podcast. Algeria is one of the most oppressive countries today for Christians and other non-Muslims, says Uzay Bulut, in a podcast hosted by Dr. Robert Royal, president of the Faith & Reason Institute. Bulut is a Turkey-born journalist formerly based in Ankara. She focuses on Turkey, political Islam, and the history of the Middle ...

As Pope Leo XIV prepares to visit Cameroon on April 15 and 16, Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) interviewed Bishop Emmanuel Dassi of Bafia about the reality of the local Church in Cameroon, its social and political role, and the challenges facing the country – particularly in the Anglophone region, which is marked by conflict. Speaking to ACN, the Cameroonian bishop stated that Pope Leo’s visit could be a sign of peace and highlighted the growth ...

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Algeria April 13 for a historic visit that shines a spotlight on the small but vibrant local Church and the role of dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Following his arrival in Algiers on Monday, the Holy Father visited Hippo Regius (present-day Annaba) on Tuesday, April 14, including sites linked to St. Augustine, before continuing his journey through Africa. Representatives from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), who are currently in Algeria, visiting projects supported ...