The Cunama in Eritrea: “Getting Out”
The Cunama, also known as the Baza, are a small ethnic group considered the most ancient of Eritrea’s inhabitants. They now number around 120,000 in Eritrea (roughly 2% of the total population), 15,000 in Sudan, and 5,000 in Ethiopia. The life of the Cunama, from birth to old age and even after death, is a […]
Ghana: The Dump of God
Agbobloshie is a large landfill on the outskirts of Accra, Ghana. It is often referred to as the ‘digital dumping ground’, where millions of tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) from Europe and North America are processed each year. According to environmental organisations, this constitutes “one of the biggest environmental crimes the world has ever witnessed”. A […]
Mongolia: A Small Yet Vital Church
The Catholic Church in Mongolia is the youngest church in the world, at a mere 20 years old. The apostolic prefect of Ulaanbataar, Monsignor Wenceslao Padilla, tells the story and highlights the challenges of this young community. The story starts with three missionaries from the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM Missionaries) who […]
Central African Republic: Christian and Islamic NGOs Join to Promote Peace
The “Interfaith Partnership for the consolidation of peace in the Central African Republic” (CIPP), a joint project funded by a group of Christian and Islamic NGOs, has been launched to support the peace process in the country, which is making significant progress towards ending the ongoing civil war. The CIPP is sponsored by the Interfaith […]
Kenya: Church Concern About The Closure of Refugee Camps
The Kenyan government’s announcement regarding the closure of the refugee camps in Dadaab and Kakuma has triggered great concern. The Dadaab camp is considered the largest refugee camp in the world, hosting more than 320,000 people mostly from Somalia; while the Kakuma camp welcomes more than 190,000 people. Particular concern has been expressed by Catholic […]
The Archbishop of Portoviejo, Ecuador: “Hospitality and Mercy” to Overcome Discouragement
The Archbishop of Portoviejo, His Exc. Mgr. Lawrence Voltolini, recently spoke about the moments following the 7.8-degree-magnitude earthquake which devastated Ecuador on the evening of Saturday, April 16th. “The experience of the earthquake was really a great trauma for everyone, but especially for the many families who lost their relatives. I think about that father […]
Bishop Chinyemba Admonishes Against Lawlessness in Zambia
As Zambia prepares for its general elections in August, Bishop Evans Chinyemba of Mongu Diocese has called upon authorities in the country to act decisively against political violence and hooliganism perpetrated by youths and party cadres. For Bishop Chinyemba, political cadres, especially those of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) Party, now control markets, bus stations, […]
Germany: 500th Anniversary of the Reformation
The town of Wittenberg in Germany is at the heart of the Evangelical Church’s celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. The official calendar of the German Evangelical Church (EKD) designates 31st October 1517 as the symbolic start of the Lutheran Reformation, when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses rejecting the Catholic practice of […]
Pope Francis: “Missionaries are the ‘evangelization heroes’ of our times”
The Holy Father stressed this during his recent daily morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, as he discussed the characteristics of men and women who choose to serve the Church as missionaries. The Pontiff drew his inspiration from the day’s reading where Paul takes his leave from the community at Miletus and talks of being […]
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Upcoming Elections
Following the Government’s announcement in Kinshasa that it does not have sufficient means to finance the electoral process, the Peace Network for Congo said in a statement: “The Democratic Republic of Congo is likely to become the only country in the world where all institutions will not have a mandate, therefore, illegal and illegitimate”. The statement […]