Thousands of Catholics in northeast Nigeria have returned to church in defiance of fear, following more than 15 years of violent insurgencies. Bishop John Bakeni and Bishop Oliver Doeme of the Diocese of Maiduguri in Borno State, Nigeria told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that worshipers were coming back “in their thousands, not hundreds.” Whuabazhi Pilgrimage Center – which ACN helped build – has seen record numbers attending. The bishops said: “People come back healed…it’s a ...

Former Red Bull executive joins ACN following a successful international career in the media and education sector. The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need-International (ACN) has announced the appointment of Ferdinand Habsburg as its Secretary General. The appointment was formally made by Executive President Regina Lynch January 13 and follows the appointment by Pope Leo XIV of Cardinal Kurt Koch as the President of ACN International in November 2025. Habsburg, an Austrian national, is 60 years old, married ...

In the Taraba State region, according to Church figures, over 100 people have been killed and 90,000 displaced since September 2025. Following a fresh massacre, the Church in Nigeria’s Middle Belt has again called for action to address extremist violence. Ten villagers died in Tuesday’s February 10 attack on Mchia in Taraba State, northeastern Nigeria, apparently carried out by militant members of the Fulani herder community. On February 12, senior clerics from Wukari Diocese – Fr. Anthony Bature, Fr. James ...

The bishops have asked for the release of political prisoners, for oil revenues to be used to help the lower classes, and for the country’s sovereignty to be respected. The Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) joins the bishops of Venezuela in their request that all sectors of the country work together for national reconciliation. The bishops propose that this task be based on the notion of respect for national sovereignty, the release of all political prisoners, ...

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 ...