Fr. Otache’s plight highlights the difficult security challenges facing parts of Nigeria, where kidnapping for ransom has become more common. A Catholic priest abducted in Nigeria’s Middle Belt has been safely freed following a rescue operation involving security personnel and local vigilantes. Father John Inalegwu Otache, parish priest of St. Margaret’s Church in Ajegbe-Awume, Benue State, was kidnapped on October 13 alongside seven others and held for five days. According to local media reports, officers from Benue State Police Command ...

The bishops of Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru do not hide their excitement over the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV, scheduled from November 6 to 17. Leo will be visiting three countries, and ten cities. He begins his journey in Uruguay, leaving on November 8 for Argentina. From November 11 to 16, he will be in Peru, arriving back in Rome on November 17. During an online conference organized by pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), three ...

The Catholic Church plays an outsize role in the services it provides in Egypt, especially in the poorer regions, but its faithful continue to face difficult challenges as a minority within a large country. The Eparchy of Luxor has approximately 25,000 Catholics who are served by 37 priests and 70 women religious. The Eparchy also covers the Red Sea coast, which is an important tourism hub and has been attracting foreign tourists and internal migrants looking for better jobs. During ...

Pontiff had part of lung removed during surgery. As news emerged that Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer, Aid to the Church in Need invited friends and benefactors to join in prayer for the Holy Father. The 71-year-old Pontiff announced on Sunday, October 11, that he would undergo surgery to remove a nodule from his lung. The Pope checked into Gemelli Hospital in Rome Tuesday, October 13, and the Vatican later announced that the procedure was “completed successfully, ...

Forced displacement caused is hampering efforts to contain the spread of the highly contagious disease. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing a new wave of Ebola cases amid particularly challenging circumstances in the eastern part of the country, where armed conflict and the presence of rebel groups are limiting the ability of both the government and the Church to respond to the outbreak. During a visit to the international headquarters of Aid to the Church in Need ...

From the streets of India to juvenile prisons in Ukraine, children all over the world prayed the Rosary together and showed adults that peace begins through small gestures, such as praying together as a family. Over 1 million children and young people from all over the world prayed the Rosary for peace and unity during the week of October 1-7, 2026, as part of the One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign, promoted by pontifical foundation Aid to the Church ...