Local Church•Persecuted Christians

Burkina Faso: Catholic catechist kidnapped and subsequently murdered

The lifeless body of Edouard Yougbare was discovered at the Saatenga parish on the morning of Friday, April 19th, according to local reports received by the Catholic organization Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Apr 23, 2024 21:18

Amy Balog

Causes of Saints•Local Church

Call to beatify 171 Sri Lankan martyrs on anniversary of church bombing

On Easter Sunday 2019, nine suicide bombers murdered a total of 264 people and injured more than 500 at six different locations – three churches and three luxury hotels.

Apr 23, 2024 20:39

Amy Balog

Local Church

Congolese bishops: ‘Our country is not for sale’

The statement also called on the international community to “understand once and for all that the DR Congo is neither for sale nor to be lawlessly exploited” – referencing Pope Francis’s message in early 2023 telling multinational companies to take their “hands off” the DRC and Africa.

Apr 23, 2024 20:35

Amy Balog

Persecuted Christians

India: attacks against Christians on the rise

The lives of Christians are under threat in 19 states in India, with the upcoming general elections raising further concerns about religious intolerance, according to a fresh report.

Apr 04, 2024 02:07

Amy Balog

Local Church•Religious Freedom

Catholic seminary in Haiti looted and vandalized

The gunmen destroyed or stole anything they could find at the Minor Seminary of Saint-Martial – run by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (the Spiritans) – after overpowering the guards.

Apr 04, 2024 02:00

Amy Balog

Holy Land•Testimonies

Don’t treat Holy Land crisis “as if it were a game,” Catholic abbot urges from Jerusalem

The abbot explained: “I am neither pro-Israel nor pro-Palestine. I am pro-human being. This is my theological position.”

Apr 04, 2024 01:58

Amy Balog

Testimonies

Nigeria: Priest tells how he survived his kidnapping

Father Amadasu said that the men started shooting at him, forcing him to stop the engine and get out of his car with his hands held up.

Mar 22, 2024 23:46

Amy Balog

Justice and Peace•Local Church•Persecuted Christians

Archbishop demands government improve security after slaughter of Christians

The statement was issued by Archbishop Ndagoso after a visit to Adama Dutse – the village in his archdiocese where five children and six adults were shot dead by unknown gunmen four weeks ago.

Mar 21, 2024 00:02

Amy Balog

Persecuted Christians•Testimonies

Burkina Faso: ‘Faith has grown’ despite killings

Bishop Kientega underlined that, despite the difficulties and persecution, Christians have defied terrorists’ demands to embrace Islam.

Mar 17, 2024 23:46

Amy Balog

Local Church

Haiti: pastoral work interrupted by violence, but churches remain full

The archbishop added that he struggles to carry out his clerical duties “because one must cope with daily life – and this daily life consists of suffering, violence, gunfights, poverty and deprivation…

Mar 10, 2024 00:25

Amy Balog

Local Church

Holy Land: the suffering of Catholics in Gaza

Last month ACN reported that, out of about 1,000 Christians remaining in Gaza, 30 have lost their lives because of the conflict – 19 have been killed by military action and 11 have died due to a lack of medical care.

Mar 08, 2024 03:45

Amy Balog

Justice and Peace•Local Church•Religious Freedom

Mozambique: Famine, disease and thirst predicted due to Islamist terrorism

Christians are a minority in predominantly Muslim northern Mozambique, but the two communities have historically coexisted peacefully until the armed insurgency broke out in 2017. Extremist groups tend to target civilian and state-owned institutions, but attacks on specifically Christian communities have also been reported – including the murder of an Italian religious Sister in 2022.

Feb 27, 2024 01:31

Amy Balog