The Voice of the suffering and persecuted​

Tony has been going on this pilgrimage since he was three months old. “There are pictures of me being carried along,” he says, his voice tinged with emotion. “I am encouraged by my love for Mary, with the title of Our Lady of Lourdes, and I thank God for allowing me to accompany Our Heavenly Mother on this pilgrimage every year.”

The conflict, which pits government forces against armed resistance groups and ethnic militias, has become significantly worse over the past year, with fighting affecting almost the entire country. The current situation brings suffering to all sectors of society and poses a particular danger to vulnerable minority communities, including Christians.

They were known as "rucksack priests," and they had to cover unbelievably long distances. We know of priests who traveled for days on foot or on bicycle. They were absolutely exhausted. Father Werenfried van Straaten recognized how desperate their situation was and asked himself: "What can we do right now to help these people?"

In Nigeria’s Benue State, more than 400 people were killed, and more than 100 others were wounded, raped, or kidnapped, in attacks on settlements and farming communities in 2023,

he stopped seeing José Si Esono as a catechist who had taught them to pray, but instead as someone who “wanted to erase the beliefs their ancestors had passed down to them. "They accused him of witchcraft and burned him alive.

Education is vital for the survival of Iraq’s long-suffering Christian community. Poverty and unemployment are the biggest issues currently facing Christians in the country. To remain in their ancestral homeland, Christians must find stable employment, but a strong education is needed to find secure jobs.

Most Christians in the Holy Land in the Holy Land work in the tourism sector, and they have lost all sources of income since pilgrimages to the region have mostly been canceled. The newly announced aid package includes life-saving medicine, food coupons, and grants for school and university students, as well as housing costs.

“With the community of the Sisters of Saint Anne and the Haitian Conference of Religious, the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince gives thanks to the Lord for the release of the six Sisters and the other people kidnapped with them on January 19. This traumatic event once again tested our faith, but it remains unshakeable."

Nicaragua and Belarus lead the list of authoritarian regimes detaining priests and religious to punish the Church for operating freely and speaking out against injustice. In Belarus, at least 10 were detained by the authorities, with three still behind bars as 2023 ended.

"Lord Jesus, enlighten our leaders. Lord Jesus, destroy the desire for war. Lord Jesus, dispel hatred. Lord Jesus, strengthen hope. Lord Jesus, reconcile all hearts. Lord Jesus, unite all nations in you. Lord Jesus, protect the poor and helpless. Lord Jesus, comfort those who suffer."