The Voice of the suffering in Middle East
Here you’ll find the latest updates on the struggles and resilience of persecuted communities around the world. These stories highlight both the challenges they endure and the faith that sustains them. Stay connected to learn how hope continues to shine through suffering.
Iraq: Ecumenical festival points to future for persecuted Church
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“What once was meant to be silenced has become a proclamation: Faith has survived, and hope is stronger than death.” Christians who survived jihadist attacks in northern Iraq have come together to celebrate a major festival, which will proclaim that Faith is still alive in the region. From September 9-13, 2025, Christians from across the region’s different traditions – Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean, Syriac Catholic, and Syriac Orthodox – are joining together for an extended celebration of the ...
The young girl who fled from Iraq and met the Pope
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Harshly persecuted for her faith, Sofia ended up finding solace in God and the strength to forgive those who drove her from her country and nearly killed her several times. On August 6, 2014, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians had to leave everything behind and escape their homeland, as terrorists from the Islamic State overran their villages and towns in the Nineveh Plain. Among them was Sofia, who was just a 12-year-old girl at the time. Gripped with fear ...
Christian clergy in Gaza defy evacuation orders to remain with their flocks
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In a joint statement, the Latin Catholic and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem call on both parties to end hostilities and allow families on both sides to begin to heal the wounds of war. Both the Catholic and the Greek Orthodox clergy and religious in Gaza will stay in their respective compounds, to care for all those who wish to remain despite recent evacuation orders, as Israel undertakes a ground offensive to control Gaza City. In their joint statement, published ...
Thousands of children prepare to return to school, thanks to ACN
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From kindergartens to universities, many students are receiving an education, thanks to ACN-funded programs in crisis-hit countries around the world, where Christian communities are in danger of extinction. As a new school year begins in many parts of the world, thousands of children in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Syria, Lebanon, and other crisis-hit countries face great obstacles to returning to the classroom. For them, schooling is often made possible by the support of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). In ...
ACN provides summer camps and activities for almost 100,000 children in 15 countries
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For many children from poor or war-stricken communities, the summer camps and other activities are an opportunity to have fun and grow in the faith in a secure environment, accompanied by religious and Church animators. Almost 100,000 children this summer are benefiting from summer camps and other activities funded by pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). For many years, ACN has helped local dioceses and Christian organizations set up and run camps for young people, especially those ...
Five years after devastating port blast, Lebanon lives with trauma and hope
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Five years have passed since one of the most devastating moments in Lebanon’s recent history—the Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020. The blast killed over 200 people, injured more than 7,000, and left entire neighborhoods in ruins. Around 300,000 people were left homeless. Yet amid the trauma and hardship, many Lebanese cling to faith, demonstrating their resilience. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) spoke to four Lebanese Christians about how their lives have changed since that day, and ...





