When young people tell him that they want to leave Lebanon, bishop Jules Boutros tries to remind them that money, safety and education may be important, but only Jesus Christ is indispensable, and that they are needed back home.

The most recent kidnappings come a week after the murder of two priests in this African country that has been rocked by criminality.

The Catholic Church in Nicaragua has suffered over 190 attacks and desecrations in less than four years, as well as persecution of clergy by the regime of president Daniel Ortega, according to a research paper that was sent to ACN.

ACN is supporting the reconstruction of the priests’ residence, destroyed during the war.

Fr Vitus Borogo and Fr Christopher Odia were murdered in apparent botched kidnapping attempts. Nigeria continues to be beset by criminality, and many priests have been targeted by bandits.

Solomon Hasdak was shocked to see hundreds of people trying to cram inside the small chapel of the village where he grew up.

Their death raises the number of murdered priests in the past three years to seven.

As thousands gather in Rome for the World Meeting of Families, ACN takes stock of some of the work it has been doing in the field of promoting and safeguarding family life, in different parts of the world.

With the newly installed bishop of Pemba asking the world not to forget about the situation which has left over four thousand dead and 800 thousand people displaced, ACN has committed to a new emergency support package for IDPs.

On 24 June ACN celebrated Benefactors’ Day.

“Postponed, not cancelled, that’s the key word,” says Maxime François-Marsal, head of projects for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The stories behind the numbers.

22 new projects have been approved for funding in Syria, a country that remains very close to the heart of the Catholic Church, as has been repeatedly expressed by Pope Francis, but where Christians are finding it increasingly difficult to survive.

Father Andrew Adeniyi Abayomi is the associate pastor at St Francis Xavier church in Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria, which was hit by a terror attack during Mass on Pentecost Sunday, June 5.

There is still no information on the culprits for the killing of dozens of people who were attending Mass on Pentecost Sunday in Owo, in the Diocese of Ondo in Nigeria.

ACN is deeply shocked by the horrific attack which took place at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in southwest Nigeria during Pentecost Sunday celebrations which caused the death of many people, including children.

Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, of the Diocese of Kaduna, complains that there is no religious freedom in the north of the country, but dismisses the idea that the conflict between Fulani herdsmen and farmers is a religious issue.

The difficulties in Syria and Lebanon have led to an increase in situations of abuse of children and women, but are also opening up opportunities for women to take the lead in their families and communities.