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 ...

People are feeling “scared, angry and sad” after more than 100 bombs fell across Beirut in a single night shattering any remaining sense of safety for those who remain living in their homes, an aid worker has said. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a massive wave of strikes on Beirut on April 8, killing at least 254 people and injuring more than 2,000. Following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire with Iran on April 7, Israel’s prime minister, ...

Faced with the pending withdrawal of the Lebanese Army from the south of the country, Christians who are attached to their land have expressed their concern about the future. Four Christian municipalities in southern Lebanon – Alma Sha’b, Rmeich, Debel, and Aïn Ebel – expressed their “deep concern” regarding the beginning of the Lebanese Army’s withdrawal from a number of border localities, which could have “serious security repercussions.” The signatories of a March 31 statement are determined to remain on ...

ACN expresses concern over Palm Sunday restrictions in Jerusalem, Syria, and Gaza, and conveys its support for Christians in the Holy Land. The international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) expresses deep concern over events that took place during Palm Sunday celebrations on March 29, 2026 in Jerusalem, Gaza, and Syria, where Christian communities marked the day amid tension, restrictions, and insecurity. In Jerusalem, Israeli police prevented His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, as ...

Holy Week has begun against a backdrop of persistent war and shortages in the Catholic compound in Gaza. Despite everything, the community intends to celebrate Easter to the full, sustained by a prayer for peace throughout the Middle East, as Fr. Gabriel Romanelli explained to the Catholic charity, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). As the Feast of the Resurrection approaches, nothing is entirely certain regarding the form of the various celebrations that will take place within the Holy Family ...