Peace is more than the absence of war, say Angolan bishops as Pope Leo visits. Pope Leo XIV will visit Angola on April 18, as part of a trip to Africa which includes Algeria, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea. Angola is a land of paradox. Like so many African nations, it is wealthy in natural resources, but over 30% of its population lives in extreme poverty. The Angolan Catholic Bishops’ Conference in July 2025 denounced “the scandal of hunger” and the ...

After Pope Leo XIV’s historic visit to Algeria, it’s worth asking, “Do Christians there actually have religious liberty?” says a Turkish journalist in a new ACN podcast. Algeria is one of the most oppressive countries today for Christians and other non-Muslims, says Uzay Bulut, in a podcast hosted by Dr. Robert Royal, president of the Faith & Reason Institute. Bulut is a Turkey-born journalist formerly based in Ankara. She focuses on Turkey, political Islam, and the history of the Middle ...

Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic charity serving the pastoral needs of the suffering and persecuted Church since 1947, is pleased to have assisted Bishop Robert Barron in the publication of What Do Their Deaths Demand? Christian Persecution Today. The book, which highlights the persecution of Christians around the world in the 21st Century, was published April 14 by Word on Fire Publishing (WOFP). Bishop Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and bishop of ...

As Pope Leo XIV prepares to visit Cameroon on April 15 and 16, Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) interviewed Bishop Emmanuel Dassi of Bafia about the reality of the local Church in Cameroon, its social and political role, and the challenges facing the country – particularly in the Anglophone region, which is marked by conflict. Speaking to ACN, the Cameroonian bishop stated that Pope Leo’s visit could be a sign of peace and highlighted the growth ...

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Algeria April 13 for a historic visit that shines a spotlight on the small but vibrant local Church and the role of dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Following his arrival in Algiers on Monday, the Holy Father visited Hippo Regius (present-day Annaba) on Tuesday, April 14, including sites linked to St. Augustine, before continuing his journey through Africa. Representatives from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), who are currently in Algeria, visiting projects supported ...

As the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to hear the Gospel prepares to receive a visit from Pope Leo XIV, the Church makes a renewed appeal for reconciliation in Angola. Pope Leo XIV will be visiting Angola in April, as part of an Apostolic trip to Africa that includes Equatorial Guinea, Algeria, and Cameroon. This trip is generating enormous interest throughout Angola, with the local Church hoping that the Pope’s April 18-21 visit might lead to the end of political ...