After receiving a report from Aid to the Church in Need, Pope Francis expressed his great concern about violations of religious freedom in countries around the world. The pontiff described Aid to the Church in Need’s Religious Freedom in the World report as “very important” and pledged to continue praying for all those persecuted for their faith. ACN’s report found that religious persecution had increased between 2021 and 2023, with religious liberty being violated in 61 countries. Marcela Szymanski, Head of International ...

Islamic terrorists killed 26 people in a church, many of them Christian.  Local sources have told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about a recent terrorist attack in Burkina Faso. The incident took place in the village of Sanaba, in the Diocese of Nouna, on August 25th, when a large group of insurgents surrounded the community and took all men over the age of 12 who were Christian, followers of traditional religions, or people they considered opponents of Jihadist ...

Bishop António Juliasse of Pemba, in northern Mozambique, visited communities that were attacked by Islamic terrorists and thanked ACN for its support of the country’s Church. Mozambique has suffered under insurgents since 2017. “As pastor of the diocese, I feel great pain for not being able to visit all the Christians, due to a lack of security,” said the Bishop of Pemba. “But when local Christian leaders told me that it was possible to reach some regions, I departed immediately. ...

The Bishop of Kaya in Burkina Faso calls for a day of mourning and for three days of prayer for the victims.  On August 24th, the town of Barsalogho in Burkina Faso was the target of a terrorist attack that killed more than 150 people, including 22 Christians, according to local sources in contact with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). This was the third attack this month and one of the bloodiest in the ...

After a thrilling trip to seven dioceses in Chile, Rafael D’Aqui, project coordinator for Latin America at Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), describes how the Church is light and hope in a time of challenge and need.  You have just returned from Chile. Could you describe the main needs of the Christians there?  The Church in Chile faces a variety of challenges. In the region of Araucania, for example, there have been a number of violent acts in ...

Shagufta Kausar was falsely accused of blasphemy. For almost eight years, she was separated from her family; her husband was beaten and tortured; and they were pressured to convert to Islam. Now free, she tells Aid to the Church in Need how she found strength in her faith.  Mrs. Kausar, you were unjustly accused of blasphemy and, despite being innocent, spent almost eight years in a Pakistani jail. You’ve finally been released. What is it like to be a Christian ...