Over the past days, several Catholic organizations and dioceses have issued calls for the government to deploy more military and police personnel to stem the bloodshed and criminality that holds sway over large parts of the country. The Catholic Church in northern Nigeria has intensified its public pressure on the government in recent days, following a new wave of attacks in the country’s north and central regions that have left hundreds dead and many more abducted. On February 3, over ...

During his first visit to the international headquarters of Aid to the Church in Need since being named its president, Cardinal Kurt Koch highlighted the importance of the charity’s defense of religious freedom and its ecumenical dimension. Cardinal Kurt Koch, recently named president of the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), visited the charity’s headquarters in Königstein, Germany, on February 3, meeting with staff for an informal conversation. The Swiss cardinal, who is head of the Vatican ...

Although the media attention has died down since the ceasefire, the Gaza Strip continues to sink into an unprecedented humanitarian and health crisis. Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Gaza’s Catholic priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, described the “very serious” conditions marked by the daily suffering of the population. “The situation continues to be very serious in the whole of the Gaza Strip,” says the Catholic parish priest of Gaza, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, while also issuing an urgent ...

“Cuba needs reforms, and these are increasingly urgent, but what it does not need is more anguish and pain. No more loss of life or mourning within Cuban families,” say the island’s bishops. During the recitation of the Angelus on Sunday, February 1, Pope Leo said he has been following “the troubling news regarding an increase in tensions between Cuba and the United States of America.” Leo XIV referred to the message published by the Cuban bishops following the announcement ...

Abduction remains a major problem in parts of Africa. Fewer priests were arrested or kidnapped in 2025 compared to 2024, but the numbers remain worrying in many parts of the world according to data collected by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). A total of 28 priests and religious were under arrest or otherwise deprived of freedom around the world, compared to 72 the year before. For the purposes of this analysis, only arrests that can ...

ACN is committed to helping rebuild the homes and lives of the Christian community in Syria. Violence in Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, has subsided following the withdrawal of forces from the Kurdish-led coalition, which were occupying two neighborhoods in defiance of government forces. Although neither of the parties of the conflict had any issue with the Christian community, many Christians lost their homes and belongings in the fighting, according to Marielle Boutros, who heads the Aid to the Church ...