The Voice of the suffering and persecuted​

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the International Day Commemorating Victims of Violence Based on Religion or Belief.  August 22nd marks the fifth anniversary of the International Day Commemorating Victims of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, as established by the UN General Assembly in 2019. Aid to the ...

Despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Father Gabriel Romanelli is working to create a sense of normalcy through education. The parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City has made it a priority to ensure that children in the community continue to receive “remedial” schooling.  It has been more ...

The holiday camps, which are hosted in regions afflicted by war and conflict, offer temporary relief to suffering youth; participants can engage in carefree activities and develop their faith. ACN project partners report that for many young people, these camps are the most anticipated event of the year.  This year, ...

After being accused of blasphemy, a Christian mother of two was cornered in a field in Pakistan and beaten by a mob.  Saima Farhad Gill, who is also a widow and lives in a village near Gojra, was saved by police and taken into custody. She was charged under Pakistan’s ...

The Holy Land’s Christians have suffered a “disturbing rise” in attacks, including spitting, physical harassment, damage to property and cemeteries, and the disruption of services.  The findings are part of a report by the Jerusalem-based Rossing Center, called “Attacks on Christians in Israel and East Jerusalem,” which examined the increase ...

As war rages on in the Gaza Strip, Christians in the West Bank and Jerusalem find themselves in an increasingly desperate situation. Reinhard Backes, the Middle East Project Consultant for international pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), reports on a trip to the Holy Land in July ...

Thanks to support from ACN, three members of the Missionaries of Saint Mary of Guadalupe are committed to serving indigenous communities in remote and forgotten regions.   “I don’t mind busting my sandals, Lord, in order to follow you and serve you,” says Sister Aura Marina López, one of the three ...

Plagued by gangs that plunder, kidnap, and terrorize, Haiti fights for its survival every day. In the midst of this violence, the Church remains a beacon of hope for the country, says Father Baudelarie Martial, a Haitian priest from the Congregation of the Holy Cross, who visited ACN’s international headquarters.  ...

Bishop Tesfaselassie Medhin tells the international pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need about the human rights violations that occurred from 2020 to 2022, during the devastating war in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray, and particularly the sexual violence against women and girls. Parts of his diocese are ...

In a joint statement, the Venezuelan Bishops Conference highlights the crucial role of the people in the elections scheduled for July 28th.  Venezuela is preparing for presidential elections in 2024 and legislative elections in 2025, both occurring in a complex political climate. As the vote on July 28th approaches, the ...