The Voice of the suffering and persecuted​

“Despite the fact that we are experiencing a moment of joy, faith, and sharing, we must not forget the places where the Church is persecuted,” said Catarina Martins de Bettencourt, director of ACN Portugal."

Sanctions in addition to the mass emigration of young people facing low salaries and few jobs, make it increasingly likely that the political and military events of recent years will lead to the gradual disappearance of Christians in the Middle East.

The key to achieving a vibrant Church is through formation, which begins at an early age in the DRC. The Church plays a prominent role in providing education and preventing young people from becoming involved in gang violence and the several militias fighting in conflict areas.

"Diocesan buildings have been turned into places of shelter, and “almost half of Roman Catholic families in the region have housed IDPs in their own homes,” Bishop Mykola Petro Luchok told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)."

But still, their living conditions are woefully inadequate, and as a result, seminarians often get sick. “A lack of water is the main reason people in our community get sick."

In an interview with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the Patriarch said that reversing the decree was part of a political campaign to silence him, render him powerless and seize control of churches and other Chaldean buildings.

"Christians have no reason to play victim. They remain the most educated in Nigeria, the most successful in business. They have power that is not political, but it is power they can use well. Our success transcends the scope of our numbers. The issue is creating an effective strategy for ...

“Some churches have been attacked by Rapid Support Forces, including the Coptic cathedral of Khartoum, which was occupied and turned into a command centre. The Coptic cathedral of Omdurman was also attacked and looted. Assailants took several cars and threatened the bishop and one of the priests, trying to convert ...

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we don’t want to waste it. It’s not every day that you get to participate in an event as important as WYD, and at ACN, we consider it a big responsibility.”

Ethnic groups share the same language, the same religion, and have similar customs. However, Burundi has a very painful history, littered with massacres, killings, social conflicts, and violence.