The Catholic Church is at the forefront of efforts to help victims of the earthquake that struck one of the most densely Christian islands of Indonesia. The Indonesian island of Flores was recently struck by a severe earthquake that registered at 7.7 in the Richter scale. The August 15 earthquake caused at least 70 deaths, injured over 1,000 people, and left tens of thousands displaced. “Although Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world in demographic terms, the island ...

In Lebanon today, organizing a few days of activities for children and young people has become an obstacle course. But for the local Church, these camps are more necessary than ever. This summer, the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is funding 61 camps in different regions of Lebanon, benefiting 7,465 children and young people. Local dioceses, parishes, and Church movements are responsible for organizing the camps and accompanying the participants. The initiative forms part of an ...

Maksym Ryabukha is a war-zone bishop. Half of the diocese he leads — the Exarchate of Donetsk, Ukraine — is occupied by the Russian army, making it impossible for him to carry out his ministry. But Ryabukha, who is an Archepiscopal Exarch in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, insisted that he continues to see “constant signs of hope,” even amid the destruction caused by the ongoing war. The 46-year-old Salesian prelate pointed to the fidelity of his priests serving on ...

Northern Nigeria usually appears in the news because of violence, kidnappings, or interreligious conflicts. However, in the midst of that reality, there are also many experiences of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims. Bishop Gerald Musa of the Diocese of Katsina believes that the greatest challenge is not religious difference, but the insecurity and lack of justice that affect all of society. The bishop explained his positions in a conversation with pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) ...

Building where the nuns were staying also serves as a home for young girls. Archbishop laments “exponential” rise in crime in the African country. Killing of Bishop Osório Citora Afonso remains unsolved. The president of the Bishops’ Conference of Mozambique has denounced an “exponential rise” in criminality in the country, following an attack on the house of a group of religious sisters in the Archdiocese of Nampula. The attack occurred on August 8 in Mecuburi. Shortly after midnight, the criminals ...

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck large parts of western and central Colombia on Monday, August 10. The epicenter was recorded in the municipality of San José del Palmar, in the Department of Chocó. According to the latest official report, the emergency has left 265 people dead, 3,494 injured, and 496 missing. The earthquake that his Colombia this week affected over 53,000 people and leveled at least 257 buildings. Cities such as Cali, Pereira, Quidbó, Manizales, and Armenia remain in a state ...