According to information collected by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Nigeria was the country with the highest number of victims, with four priests killed. Others who were murdered while carrying out their pastoral duties include three priests brutally killed in Mexico.

“The teaching of Pope Benedict, who dedicated his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est to the subject of charity, has been very valuable to ACN.”

Senegal is known for being one of western Africa’s most politically stable countries. However, there is an open conflict between the Senegalese military and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MDFC) in the country’s southern Casamance region, which began 40 years ago.

Because of the danger of terrorism, the Church in norther Benin is restricted in the exercise of its pastoral work, ACN reports.

“I am married, I have three kids. If I am only a teacher, nowadays, I cannot give them what they need. I need to juggle more jobs to provide for them. This takes time from me, so I cannot prepare my classes as much as I used to."

One of the school’s students, 15-year-old Christine, was returning home from school with a classmate when a bomb detonated near them. Christine lost a foot, but her friend was killed.