The Voice of the suffering in Latin America

Father Gersaín Paz, the parish priest of one of Colombia’s most dangerous neighborhoods, tells Aid to the Church in Need how faith and music have changed the lives of many children in Cali, the capital of the drug trade, keeping them away from drugs and the temptation of suicide.   “This is Colombia’s biggest misfortune. Crime has become an industry,” laments Father Gersaín Paz, parish priest of Santa Marta, Cali, during a visit to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). ...

The Amazon, known as the “lungs of the planet,” due to its rich biodiversity, is also the home of inspiring and encouraging stories. One such story is centered on an old truck in a garage in Altamira, deep in the state of Pará, Brazil, which contains evergreen memories, though surrounded by rusty old scrap. “This truck was used during the Second World War, and it came from Switzerland. But over here, it was used in another kind of war, a ...

Early on November 2nd, an explosion aimed at the police station in Guapi, southwest Colombia, killed three people and destroyed a large part of the bishop’s residence and the offices of the Apostolic Vicariate of Guapi.   The explosion left the Church buildings “practically destroyed, tearing down walls, doors, windows, and the ceilings of the curia and the bishops’ house, leaving them in ruins,” said Father Arnulfo Moreno Quiñonez, the provicar of Guapi, who expressed his grief for the loss of ...

The bishops of Venezuela recently concluded their 45th Extraordinary Plenary Assembly, during which they discussed issues of crucial importance to the country. Over three days, from October 15-17, they met to pray and reflect on the social, political, and ecclesiastical situation in Venezuela.   In a statement called “The truth shall set you free” (John 8:31), the bishops issued a call to the National Electoral Council to publish details of the results of the elections held on July 28th, as requested ...

Father José Luis de Menezes speaks to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the origins of the Fazendas da Esperança, or Farms of Hope, a network of rehabilitation centers supported by ACN. “Our communities are dedicated to salvaging the dignity of people who have been lost to addiction,” said Father José Luís de Menezes, during his visit to the international headquarters of Aid to the Church in Need. Throughout his conversation with ACN, the Brazilian priest repeated the ...

With funding from Aid to the Church in Need, a recent project aims to integrate immigrants in Argentina and create pastoral agents to deal with the challenges of inclusion, like cultural and linguistic barriers.   “The immigrants need more than just compassion and material help. We need to ask them about their roots: their religion, their traditions. How can we understand popular religion, with all its traditions? How can we pray with our migrant brothers?” These are some of the questions ...