The Voice of the suffering in Middle East

Life in Jerusalem’s Old City is difficult for the Christians who continue to live there, many of whom are poor. ACN has been helping these struggling families through projects carried out by the Latin Patriarchate.  The Old City of Jerusalem is a magical place to visit. The narrow, cobbled streets exude millennia of history and tradition, suffering and joy, victory and defeat, where Christians, Muslims, and Jews walk, work, and pray in a close proximity that is as prone to ...

The Bailasan Counseling Center is the first Catholic psychosocial and mental health institution aimed exclusively at helping the Christian community in the West Bank. ACN funded the renovation work at the center and, during a recent visit, spoke to those whose job is to care for a people suffering from a variety of traumas, resulting from the prevailing political and economic tensions in the Holy Land.  In a survey of close to 300 Palestinian Christians, conducted between October and December ...

Archbishop Arbach will participate in the “Night of Witnesses” in the cathedral of Madrid on March 14th.  Following the massacres that took place in western Syria on March 8th and 9th, which, according to available reports and estimates, left 1,000 dead, the Archbishop of Homs, Jean Abdo Arbach, has told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that “we don’t want any more bloodshed. We call for unity and reconciliation. After 14 years of war, we don’t need another conflict.” ...

The heads of Christian Churches in the Holy Land have officially protested a renewed attempt to force them to pay certain taxes in the State of Israel. The most pressing case at the moment is related to the Armenian Church, but there are many cases involving Catholic institutions.  The Patriarchs and heads of local Churches of Jerusalem have issued an official statement condemning the most recent attempt by the Municipality of Jerusalem to force Churches to pay the municipal tax ...

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) expresses its deep concern over the escalating violence in Syria, particularly in the coastal region, where hundreds of civilians have fallen victim to indiscriminate attacks. The situation has created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, including for Christian communities, who have already suffered greatly over the past decade.  According to sources in Latakia close to the charity, who ACN prefers to keep anonymous for security reasons, last Friday was “a very black and ...

“We have seen plenty of improvement in these girls. They find meaning, and they can face the challenges life has for them.”  For International Women’s Day, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) spoke to Sister Marie Akl, a religious from the Congregation of the Good Shepherd, about her valuable work in the shelter for vulnerable young people in Nabaa, Lebanon, where children and adolescents manage to overcome their trauma through workshops, integral care, and even personal defense classes.   Who ...