African Witnesses: Blessed Pierre Claverie
In January 2018, Pope Francis approved the beatification of Bishop Pierre Claverie and his eighteen companions. The murder of Pierre Claverie, a Dominican and the Bishop of Oran in Algeria, was the latest in a series of tragic killings that cast the Church of Algeria into grief between 1994 and 1996. The other victims were […]
Ethiopia: Metema, the loss of all hope
Each day it is criss-crossed by invisible travellers who arrive after placing themselves in the hands of human traffickers, under cover of darkness, crossing the frontier with Sudan along paths lost in the thick undergrowth. Welcome to Metema, a city in the north-west of Ethiopia, on the Sudan border, the Launchpad of the migration routes […]
Africa: Start-ups rolling out
The continent is changing thanks to the increasingly frequent use of new technological tools. A journey through the most innovative start-ups in Africa. Innovation is today the most used word by those who want to talk about Africa going beyond the narrative that speaks of a continent between needs and conflicts, leaders clinging to power […]
African Witnesses: Vivian Uchechi Ogu
The striking heroism in the story of Vivian is in the remarkable way in which she expressed her Christian faith, having extraordinary influence on the lives of others from the tender age of nine and the courage with which she put into practice what she had been preaching when the opportunity came at the age […]
Africa: The art of food – Ancient flavours and genuine ingredients
From the Maghreb to Southern Africa, a myriad of flavours, aromas and colours. A journey through past and present tells of the rich traditions in the art of African food. Fonio is an ancient cereal that is resistant to drought. It is one of the oldest crops cultivated in West Africa, from Nigeria, through Benin, […]
Philippines: Modern Day Missionaries of the World
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) take and practice their faith fervently wherever they go, wherever they are. That is why the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines appreciates the role of OFWs as modern day apostles of evangelisation in the foreign countries where they work. Mary Jane Soriano, a 25-year-old college graduate Filipino domestic worker, has […]
Mexico: “Until dignity becomes the custom”
The Miguel Agustín Pro Juarez Human Rights Centre (Centro ProDH), founded by the Jesuits, is celebrating its 30th year. A path in defence of human rights especially in the most disadvantaged sectors in Mexico. Father Jesús Maldonado, founder of the Centre tell us its story. During these 30 years we have been accompanying many of […]
African Witnesses: Simon Mpecke
He was born in 1906 in Log Batombé, in Cameroon. In 1914, at age 8, Mpecke attended the elementary school of the Catholic mission in Édéa. It was a mission opened by the Pallottine order during the period German colonisation. At age 11, Mpecke finished elementary school. On August 14, 1918, at the age of […]
Bolivia: The ritual of potato planting
Before planting, Quechua farmers ask Pachamama (mother-earth) for permission. Pachamama is the fertility goddess who presides over planting and harvesting. Then the Ispallamama (spirits) are invoked. The sowing of the potato begins with the preparation of the land. Farmers select a fertile land, which has rested for two or three years; then they leave the […]
Africa: Millions still have no papers
According to the World Bank, 41% of the inhabitants of the continent do not exist in law. They have no identity documents issued by state civil offices. A problem affecting human rights, it fuels illegal trafficking and slows the economy. According to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), 95 million children born in Sub-Saharan Africa are […]