Latest News

Read the latest news from the suffering Church around the world, sourced from Aid to the Church in Need's unique network of contacts in more than 130 countries. You can also use the menu on the right hand side to find out more about our Press Office and contact our reporters.

May 2013

EGYPT: Hopes Coptic Orthodox may recognise Catholic baptism
20 May 2013
A leading Coptic Catholic bishop has expressed hopes that a historic meeting between two popes may lead to the Coptic Orthodox Church recognising Catholic baptism.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Islamists terrorising Christians
17 May 2013
Churches and mission stations are being looted, destroyed and pillaged by militia soldiers directly under the Central African Republic's new government.

UNITED KINGDOM: Mass for Syria's suffering Christians
14 May 2013
Syrian Christians living in Scotland were among those at a Mass asking Our Lady of Fatima's intercession for peace in their homeland.

NIGERIA: Government afraid that tackling Boko Haram extremists will cost votes, says bishop
13 May 2013
A bishop from northern Nigeria has claimed the country's president, Goodluck Jonathan, will not tackle Islamist terrorism for fear of losing votes in upcoming elections.

UNITED KINGDOM: Uplifting music for Syria on Ascension Day
10 May 2013
An Ascension-Day concert for Syria by Marilla Ness uplifted people's faith as well as helping refugees fleeing persecution and conflict, according to Aid to the Church in Need's UK national director.

NIGERIA: Cardinal says country in "jeopardy"
3 May 2013
Politicians were told that dishonest government officials and ongoing violence against religious groups are dragging Nigeria into jeopardy by senior Catholic leaders from the west African nation.

April 2013

UNITED KINGDOM: Scotland set to sing and pray in support of Syria's Christians
29 April 2013
Scotland's Catholics are showing their support for the suffering people of Syria with a fund-raising concert and Mass organised by Aid to the Church in Need.

SYRIA: Fears for kidnapped bishops increase one week after abduction
29 April 2013
Fears have increased for two Syrian archbishops, with no news on their whereabouts eight days after they were abducted by armed men. One bishop has a "life-threatening problem" and has no medicine with him when kidnapped.

UNITED KINGDOM: Ann Widdecombe calls for pressure on MPs to stop persecution of Christians
24 April 2013
Ann Widdecombe has called on Christians to put pressure on the UK government to take action against persecution of Christians overseas and to stop it developing here.

SYRIA: Urgent appeal for release of kidnapped archbishops of Aleppo
23 April 2013
Aid to the Church in Need calls for help for two archbishops kidnapped outside Aleppo, Syria, after trying to negotiate the release of abducted priests.

INTERNATIONAL: Christian persecution "downplayed" by UK government report
19 April 2013
Neville Kyrke-Smith, national director of Aid to the Church in Need (UK), hit out at a government report on human rights violations, for glossing over the scale of persecution against Christians.

EGYPT: Police "protected" cathedral attackers
19 April 2013
Police protected Islamist extremists who attacked a funeral service at St Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, according to a source close to Egypt's Catholic Bishops.

SYRIA: Patriarch makes urgent peace appeal
15 April 2013
Melkite Greek-Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III has described how "the whole of Syria has become a battlefield" and asked world leaders to intervene to prevent further bloodshed.

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