October 20, 2023

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The president of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) this week said he was hoping for a quick reopening of border access to Gaza and deployment of aid to stricken civilians in the war-torn area. CRS on Wednesday repeated its call for “an end to all violence and immediate humanitarian access to Gaza,” with the group and partner aid workers “mobilized and standing ready to meet the immediate needs of displaced families.” CRS president and CEO Sean Callahan told CNA on Thursday that the group was waiting for aid access to the embattled region. There are about 3,000 tons of supplies in humanitarian aid awaiting entry to Gaza from the Egyptian side of the border, according to the UN. Israel agreed to the aid being transferred to the Palestinian people as long as it goes only to civilians and not Hamas. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255755/catholic-relief-president-on-aid-to-gaza-let-s-get-it-going-take-care-of-these-people Three Catholic nuns, a seminarian, and their driver who were abducted from Nigeria’s Abakaliki Diocese on October 5 have been released. Vicar General Sister Gloria Nnabuchi of the Missionary Daughters of Mater Ecclesiae said a ransom of 1 million Naira, or 1,305 US dollars, had been paid for their release. The five were on their way to a burial in Nigeria’s Imo State when they came in contact with their abductors. Nigeria has been experiencing insecurity since 2009 when Boko Haram insurgency began with the aim of turning the country into an Islamic state. Since then, the group, one of largest Islamist groups in Africa, has been orchestrating indiscriminate terrorist attacks on various targets, including religious and political groups as well as civilians. The insecurity situation in the country has further been complicated by the involvement of the predominantly Muslim Fulani her