During the annual pilgrimage for persecuted Christians in Einsiedeln, the President of ACN International reflected on contemporary martyrdom, Christian unity, and the mission of the charity. Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of Aid to the Church in Need International (ACN), reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to supporting persecuted and suffering Christians during the annual pilgrimage for persecuted Christians held at Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey, organized by ACN Switzerland. Reflecting on the reality of religious persecution in today’s world, Cardinal Koch stressed that martyrdom ...

“The families will be relieved and happy to hear that those who planned the abduction of their children have been arrested. This is truly good news,” says Bishop Bulus Yohanna. Bishop Bulus Yohanna of Kontagora, Nigeria has welcomed reports that security forces in Nigeria arrested individuals allegedly involved in the mass kidnapping that took place on November 21, 2025, at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri in the Diocese of Kontagora. A total of 265 students and staff members were ...

Villagers in Cabo Delgado used to be united despite their religious diversity, but lately, religion has become a dividing factor, reports Bishop António Juliasse. The jihadists who have been waging an insurgency in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, are trying to establish a caliphate in the image of the Islamic State, says Bishop António Juliasse of Pemba. In a message sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Juliasse said that “the signs are all there. ...

In a message to Paul III Nona, ACN’s executive president recalled the sufferings of the Chaldean faithful in Iraq, who “have been so often called to bear witness to their Christian faith in times of persecution and suffering.” The new Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church was officially installed on Friday, May 29, during a solemn ceremony in the Cathedral of St. Joseph, Baghdad, Iraq. Leaders of other Christian Churches, representatives from the Vatican, and Iraqi government figures were in ...

As secularism grows across the Caribbean, Archbishop Gabriel Malzaire of Saint Lucia believes Christians must rediscover a deeper and more resilient faith – one that goes beyond emotions and passing trends.The Caribbean islands that form the Antilles may seem like paradise most of the year, but those who live there year-round, like Archbishop Gabriel Malzaire of Castries, Saint Lucia, know the dangers of hurricane season. “I remember one hurricane in 1980, when I was in seminary. I had been placed ...

The number of churches attacked or vandalized in Europe and the Americas continues to rise, while Christians often lack the legal instruments to fight back against discrimination and persecution. Christians suffer persecution and limits to their religious freedom in many parts of the world, with increasing violence and hostility in Africa and Asia. But Europe and the Americas also face problems, though the ruling authorities tend not to take action. José Luis Bazán, an academic and specialist in human rights ...