Catholic Charity helping those suffering Christian persecution worldwide
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An
international Catholic charity dependent on the Holy See,
providing pastoral relief to needy and oppressed churches.
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"Persecuted and Forgotten?" - ACN Report on Christians oppressed for their faith 2007/2008
The grainy image pictured on the cover of our latest report is a still taken
from footage filmed in secret in 2005 of Chinese 'Underground' Bishop
John Han Dingxian of Yongian (Hebei province) in police custody. Bishop
Han died in September 2007 after two years in isolation and a total of
35 years in prison.
Largely unknown to the outside world, Christians today suffer physical and verbal abuse, imprisonment and even murder. In the last few years, acts of persecution have suddenly escalated. More Christians are persecuted than any other religious group.
Focusing on nearly 30 countries including China, Iraq, Sudan and Zimbabwe, Persecuted and Forgotten? shows the reality of life for people denied the freedoms many of us take for granted.
Drawing on the very latest research and first-hand accounts, the book bears testimony to the heroic struggle of so many people determined to remain true to their Christian faith.
Religious liberty as a fundamental human right is being neglected by world public opinion, above all by politicians and the media. And yet religious liberty is one of the most vital preconditions for democracy. You will find no better summary about your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted for their faith. Please pray for them.
Please click on the front cover of the book to read the report.
To obtain a hard copy of the report please write to our office at Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 (02) 9679-1929 OR order your copy on our On-Line store under the Other Books and Items category . The Report is available for a donation of $4.00
*Australian residents only. Overseas visitors please download the report
| This week's featured project | June 29 , 2009 |
BOLIVIA: Support for the apostolate of 31 religious sisters
in the apostolic vicariate of Pando
 Priests, Sisters and Faithful united in the celebration of Holy Mass |
Bishop Luis Casey of Pando diocese calls the sisters the "backbone of the work the Church is doing here". It is true; the sisters take on every kind of task – preparing the children for their First Holy Communion and young people for Confirmation, helping the elderly, supporting mothers and children, ministering to the poor, providing medical care and helping people who have no documents to obtain birth certificates, ID documents, baptismal certificates etc, from the authorities. This is very important work, for people who have no papers practically do not exist and can thus not lay claim to any of the normal civic rights. Some of the sisters also visit the prisons and give medical care to the inmates. One sister is responsible for the Catholic schools, and another runs a literacy and learning programme for adults.
Bishop Casey wrote recently to the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need(ACN) and said: "So far, ACN is the only organisation willing to help us in this field. Supporting the apostolate of these sisters is the largest single item in our budget, and apart from your charity we have no one we can turn to. Hence any help at all that you can provide for their support will be most welcome. I want to thank you for thinking of our needs and I pray every day for ACN and your generous benefactors, who are helping to ease the burden that our apostolate here inevitably involves".
ACN has promised a grant of over $15,000. To help this cause please contact the Australian office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web: www.aidtochurch.org
Click here for past weeks' featured projects
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Reports for you to read about the work of Aid to the Church in Need
Please note that you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (AAR) to view these reports. You can download AAR free of charge from the net by going to the Adobe website. To open a report simple click on the cover of the report you are interested in. |
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Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org