Evangelisation in the rural parish “Our Lady of the Rosary” in Manica.
Muslims and executed the former. After easing somewhat in 2023, the violence escalated once again in 2024. According to the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, the number of internally displaced persons in the reporting year was over 716,000. More than two million people are in urgent need of help. The conflicts in the northern region of Mozambique are not primarily religious, but also socially and economically motivat- ed. A large proportion of the population is excluded from sharing in the region’s wealth of resources, and many young people have few prospects for a better future. As a result, many of ACN’s project partners are deeply concerned about a widespread outbreak of violence across the northern part of the country, with an increasingly significant Islamist component. The fears are justified: since the presidential election on 9 October, which was overshadowed by allegations of manipulation, there have been bloody protests in several regions, resulting in more than 270 deaths by the end of the year. Church buildings were also vandalised during the unrest. Thanks to our close cooperation with local project partners, we are aware of the most urgent needs of the Church in Mozam- bique. In the reporting year, we supported the evangelisation and pastoral work of the Church throughout the country. This includes the training of priests and reli- gious sisters, as well as providing numerous vehicles to ensure that bishops, priests and sisters can regularly visit and support com- munities in the hinterland and displaced families. We were also able to support priests with Mass stipends and religious sisters with subsistence aid. A particular fo- cus of our aid was in the Diocese of Pemba, which was severely affected by terrorism. Here, we were able to assist the Church with emergency aid, pastoral care projects and psychosocial support for the population. We also supported religious radio programmes, which are especially vital for believers in remote areas of the country that are difficult to access.
A letter from Mozambique
In the year under review, we received a letter from Bishop
what is in its nature, to be with the people, to help those we can help and to offer what aid we receive. For us in Cabo Delgado, ACN has always come to our assistance at the most critical times, and is always ready to help us to save the lives of our brothers and sisters.”
António Juliasse from the Diocese of Pemba. His letter serves as a powerful reminder of the impor- tance of our support and reassures us that our mission, both in the past and today, is on the right path: “The Church continues to do
A priest on his way to remote parishes.
ACN Activity Report 2024 | 59 Africa – Mozambique |
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