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World

Stories from parishes, dioceses, religious orders and community groups all over the world. It also includes stories on specific topics such as the Vatican, the Pope, missionaries, aid projects, aid agencies, health & natural disasters. See our World Parishes Links page for relevant links.


Gaza: 'Famine is imminent' UN food agency warns

Photo by Mohammed Ibrahim on Unsplash

The UN food agency says "famine is imminent" in northern Gaza, where an estimated 70% of the population faces catastrophic hunger. William Bell, Christian Aid's Head of Middle East Policy and Advocacy, commented: "Children in Gaza are dying of malnutrition and disease with desperate families reportedly eating grass to survive. This is suffering on a scale you couldn't imagine. Our local partners i... Read More


Christian Aid rejects Israel's 'half-baked' plan to force Gaza people on to 'humanitarian islands'

Over a million people live in makeshift shelters on the beach or bombed out buildings. Image NK.

As the civilian death toll in Gaza, from military onslaught, starvation and disease, continues to rise, Israel has announced plans to force the population into 'humanitarian islands'. Over a million people who have already been forced to moved several times, are currently surviving in makeshift shelters, with little water, toilet facilities of food in Rafah, in the southern corner of Gaza. William... Read More


Mass emigration threatening Christian future in Syria

Hope Centre beneficiary Youssef Afesa working in his smithy in Damascus (© Hope Centre/ACN)

Stark warnings have come from respected Church figures that urgent action is desperately needed to prevent the wipe-out of the Christian community in Syria. Father Basilios Gergeos, a priest ministering in Damascus, told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN): "Ninety percent of Syria's citizens are thinking of emigrating." While members of all faiths are leaving, the exodus threatens to... Read More


Children's hospital staff, patients and families visit Pope Francis

Image: Vatican Media

More than 3,000 people from the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome met with Pope Francis on Saturday, to mark the 100th anniversary of the internationally renowned hospital being donated to the Vatican by the Salviati family. Among them some 200 children and their parents, including children from countries at war, such as Ukraine and Gaza who are receiving the medical treatment they were un... Read More


Pope appoints bishop and laywoman to Pontifical Commission for Protection of Minors

Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Luis Manuel Ali Herrera, Auxiliary Bishop of Bogota, as the new Secretary for the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. He has also appointed Ms Teresa Morris Kettelkamp as Adjunct Secretary of the Commission. Both have been serving as Members of the Commission. The new appointments were announced today by the Holy See Press Office. In a statement fo... Read More


Rabbis for Human Rights: 'Allow humanitarian aid into Gaza now!'

Yesterday's demo. Image RHR

Yesterday at the Ashdod Port (about 40km south of Tel Aviv), Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) partnered on a demonstration led by their friends at Zazim demanding that the Israeli Government allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. The protest was met by violence from right-wing counter demonstrators. RHR say: "The situation in Gaza is dire and it is a basic moral imperative to allow humanitarian aid to rea... Read More


Bringing Christ to the Middle East via satellite TV

Christian children's programme  © SAT-7

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is partnering with a satellite broadcaster to offer a lifeline of faith for Christians in Muslim-majority countries. SAT-7 is an ecumenical Christian organisation, which operates four satellite channels in three languages - Arabic, Turkish and Farsi - reaching millions. In many countries, those who have come to believe in Christ have to live their faith in secret - ... Read More


Zambian missionary murdered in South Africa

Father William Banda

A Zambian priest was shot dead on Wednesday, 13 March, in South Africa. Father William Banda of the St Patrick's Society for Foreign Missions (Kiltegan Fathers) was shot dead as he prepared to celebrate Holy Mass at Tzaneen Cathedral in Tzaneen, north South Africa. According to testimony, Father Banda was leading prayers before the 8am Mass when an unknown, very well-dressed African man entered th... Read More


South Africa: Three Coptic monks killed

Father Takla Moussa, Father Minah Marcus, and Father Youstos Marcus

Three Coptic monks were killed on Wednesday night in the monastery of Saint Mark and Saint Samuel the Confessor monastery, in Cullinan, a small town 30km from Pretoria, South Africa. A church statement said: "This brutal incident resulted in martyrdom of our Assistant Bishop and Abbot of Saint Mark and Saint Samuel the Confessor, Proto-priest Father Takla Moussa, Father Minah ava Marcus and Father... Read More


Syria: A generation of young people are missing from school

Destruction of homes from conflict in Aleppo, Syria, February 2024

As the conflict in Syria enters its 13th year on Friday, 15 March, CAFOD reports on the ongoing humanitarian and refugee crisis, including the thousands of Syrian refugees who have missed out on an education due to the conflict. Hombeline Duliere, CAFOD Programme Manager, Syria Crisis Response, said: "One young Syrian refugee I recently met told me about the challenges they face living in Lebanon.... Read More


Pakistan: New government must protect Christians

As Pakistan emerges from its national elections, UK-based Release International calls on the new government to repeal the country's notorious blasphemy laws and prevent forced conversions. A major task facing the President, sworn in yesterday (March 10), and the newly elected prime minister, will be to calm the simmering violence against its Christian minority that led to church burnings in Jaranw... Read More


Turkey: Keeping the light of Christianity alive

Archbishop Martin Kmetec celebrating Mass  -  Image - © Aid to the Church in Need,  N Ritzmann

Turkey's small Christian community is preserving an ancient Christian presence - making it a "forgotten Holy Land", according to an archbishop. With only 150,000 Christians out of the approximately 85 million people living in Turkey, Archbishop Martin Kmetec of Izmir said aid programmes have been essential for helping the Church survive. Archbishop Kmetec told Catholic charity Aid to the Church i... Read More


Haiti: Pastoral work disrupted by violence - but churches are still full

Mobs on streets of Haiti  -  Image: © US Government / US Marine Corps

Haiti is on the brink of a civil war, with many roads blocked and Church personnel facing the threat of abduction, making it difficult for clergy to travel and minister to the faithful, according to the country's most senior bishop. Nowhere in the country is completely safe and pastoral work is "very badly affected" - but people's faith remains strong, Archbishop Max Leroy Mésidor of Port-au-Prin... Read More


Gaza's Christians: 'We are closer than ever to the crucified Saviour'

Prayers at Holy Family Church

Gaza's Christian community is facing the most difficult time since the outbreak of the war but remain encouraged by their faith, according to local sources. There is a critical shortage of food and clean water, a source in Gaza who wished not to be named told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). The source said: "People walk for long hours to get a small box of food, which in the end is not even enoug... Read More

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