Ireland’s Catholic Church leaders have urged parishioners to continue to speak out for an end to violence and for reconciliation in the Holy Land, as the Christmas season approaches.
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Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa says that even though he does not believe there is a short-term solution to the crisis in the Holy Land, he does have hope for the future of Christians in the region. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem believes that the end of the war in Gaza is in sight but warns that the suspension of military operations does not equal peace.
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Catechists, often at the risk to their own lives, are pillars of the Church in Burkina Faso. Despite the continuous terrorist threats against them, they assure, in the absence of priests, the continuity of faith in villages and displacement camps. In an interview with ACN, a priest from the Diocese of Kaya explains that being a catechist means giving yourself entirely, guided by unshakeable faith in Christ.
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The political situation in Syria, which has led to a drastic change in the country’s leadership, continues to deeply affect the lives of its citizens, particularly the Christian communities. Dr Georges Assadourian, the Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Damascus, shared with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) how recent events in the capital have been experienced, and reflected on the role of Christians during this period of transition.
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Charity Aid to the Church in Need, Ireland – which supports thousands of vulnerable minority Christian communities in 140 countries – is making an urgent appeal for prayer and support for the Christian community and all residents of Aleppo, Syria, who are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis.
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Kinga Schierstaedt, Project Co-ordinator for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Africa, travelled to the landlocked African nation of South Sudan. Bordering the Republic of Sudan, its larger neighbour to the north, South Sudan has suffered terribly from conflict and civil war in recent years. After returning from her trip, Schierstaedt spoke about the current situation in the country and the role played there by the Church.
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Following a heartfelt plea from a missionary and ACN’s project partner in Aleppo, the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need calls on all people of faith to unite in prayer for the safety and peace of this war-torn region.
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Despite the danger, a Brazilian missionary priest has stayed in Ukraine since the beginning of the war. Fr Lucas Perozzi thanks ACN for the help it keeps providing, and remains committed to spreading the Gospel.
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In the face of rampant violence which is paralysing Port-au-Prince and isolating Haiti from the rest of the world, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Haiti, in a message received by ACN, calls on the government to act and appeals to every Haitian to work for peace and overcome hatred.
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As Ireland marks the annual Aid to the Church in Need ‘Red Wednesday’, Primate of All-Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin has urged parishioners to show solidarity with Christians who are persecuted and discriminated against because of their faith.
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New research from Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, Ireland has revealed that persecution against Christians is on the increase.
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The world’s tallest statue of St Patrick has been illuminated in red to highlight the plight of persecuted religious minorities.
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7 November 2024 – A powerful explosion in a violent terrorist attack, aimed at the police station in the city of Guapi, in southwest Colombia, left three people dead and destroyed a large part of the bishop’s residence and offices of the Apostolic Vicariate of Guapi, in the early hours of 2 November.
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The world’s tallest statue of Ireland’s much-loved patron saint in Co. Down will be illuminated in red for a week to highlight the plight of persecuted religious minorities. The imposing 32-foot statue on Slieve Patrick will be lit in red from November 17-24 to mark what is described as the ‘Week of Witness’ by the charity Aid to the Church in Need, Ireland. ACN supports 6,000 vulnerable communities in 140 countries.
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All twenty ACN offices will participate in our annual Week Of Witness campaign, aimed at highlighting the suffering of persecuted Christians. On the 20th November, 24 of Ireland’s 26 cathedrals will be illuminated in red, as well as the national Marian and Eucharistic Shrine in Knock.
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Three more attacks have taken place in eastern Burkina Faso, leaving 150 people dead. Over 100 terrorists struck the villages of Ziéla, Kombembgo, and Kouri, burning houses and vehicles and leaving significant death and destruction in their wake. These attacks form part of a pattern of terrorist violence which has been going on in the country since 2015.
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A priest, Fr Thomas Oyode, was kidnapped from the minor seminary where he worked last Sunday, and taken by armed bandits into the bush. Armed gunmen broke into the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary, in the Diocese of Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria, at around 7pm on Sunday evening and fired shots into the air, causing panic among students and staff, according to a diocesan statement sent to Aid to the Church in Need.
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To mark the annual Week of Witness in Ireland, Archbishop Linus Neli, the Archbishop of Imphal in India will speak about the current situation there. He leads the Church in Manipur, where hundreds of Catholics have been killed for their faith, thousands displaced and many churches destroyed.
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Each year, ACN Ireland raises awareness of their plight via the annual Week of Witness, which this year runs from Sunday November 17 to Sunday November 24. A central part of the week-long solidarity campaign is ‘Red Wednesday’ on November 20th, when many cathedrals and parish churches have their exterior illuminated in red, the traditional colour of martyrdom.
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In northern Beqaa, the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Good Help has been transformed into a refuge for more than 800 people fleeing the bombing. The fifteen sisters from the Melkite Greek Catholic Church are welcoming hundreds of internally displaced people there, mostly Muslims, offering them not just shelter but also comfort and support.
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