Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, met with a delegation from Aid to the Church in Need on Wednesday, July 17th, and expressed his gratitude for the help received by the Holy Land. The situation in the Holy Land remains drastic, with no prospects of improvement in the short term. In this context, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem has called on Christians to take a break from political discussions and pray together.  The Patriarch spoke to a delegation ...

The Catholic Church in Belarus is highly involved in pastoral work with children and young people. Every week, hundreds of children attend catechesis, and every year, many children receive their first Holy Communion. During the Soviet period, the practice of religion was severely restricted, but thanks to the faith that was passed on by grandparents, the Church still has deep roots.  Children’s Festival Day is a special event for the Catholic Church in Belarus and takes place with the support ...

His Beatitude Ibrahim Sidrak, the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, heads the small Coptic Catholic Church, which has about 300,000 members. In an interview with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), he shared his thoughts about his country, which has become a refuge for many Christians.   How do you explain that, unlike in many other Near East countries, we have not seen a mass migration of Christians from Egypt?  Historically, we have a large Christian community ...

A bill approved by the United States Congress will fund efforts to promote religious freedom in countries where it is currently lacking.  The pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) expresses its appreciation for the United States Congress’s decision to renew and deepen its commitment to religious freedom in parts of the world where people continue to suffer for their faith.   On Friday, June 28th, Congress adopted the full text of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs ...

On June 4th, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), or the Popular Party of India, won its third election, extending Narendra Damodardas Modi’s tenure as leader of the country. What are the consequences of these results for the Christian community? In this interview, Father Pradeep, a Jesuit from the state of Jharkhand, shares his thoughts with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).  Prime Minister Modi recently won the elections. What was the reaction of the Christian ...

A new amendment to the Christian Marriage Act says that girls and boys under the age of 18 cannot marry. Though only a first step, this could curb cases of abduction and forced marriage for Christian girls in the country.   The Catholic Church in Pakistan applauds a new amendment to the Christian Marriage Act, which was recently signed into law and raises the age of marriage to 18 for both boys and girls.   Though limited in scope – the law ...