activities report 2015 - aid to the church in need · priests and laypeople with whom we work are...

Informing - Praying - Giving…to be and to become merciful

ACTIVITIESREPORT 2015

“It is proper to God toexercise Mercy, and hemanifests his omnipotenceparticularly in this way.”Saint Thomas Aquinas

© Grzegorz Galazka

Activities Report 2015Aid to the Church in Need2

2015 IN REVIEWA Word from the Director of Projects ....................... 3Africa ..................................................................... 5Eastern Europe ....................................................... 8Middle East .......................................................... 12Latin America ........................................................ 15Asia ..................................................................... 19Mass Offerings ...................................................... 22Scholarships ........................................................ 24Media .................................................................. 25

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Reinhard Backes, Rafaël D’Aqui, Christine duCoudray Wiehe, Father Andrzej Halemba, PeterHumeniuk, Magda Kaczmarek, Ulrich Kny, ReginaLynch, Marco Mencaglia, Peter Rettig, Mark vonRiedemann, Toni W. Zender

Graphic Design: Valentina VlassovaAuthor: Mario BardTranslation: Julie Bourbeau, Services d’affaires et traductionRevision: Birgit Schultz and Amanda Bridget GriffinImage copyrights: Aid to the Church in Need

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED – Reproduction authorized withpermission from Aid to the Church in Need Canada

AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEEDwas founded in 1947 by the Dutch priest, FatherWerenfried. Today, as an international foundation ofpontifical right, this Catholic charity has as a mandateto assist the poor and suffering or persecuted Church.The organization has 21 national offices around theworld, such as the Canadian national office which tookroot in Montreal in 1982. Together, they supportupwards of 5,000 pastoral projects per year in over140 countries. Projects such as the training ofseminarians and novices, subsistence aid for priestsand consecrated people, construction and renovationof chapels, seminaries, convents and more; support isalso given for the purchase of means of transportationto reach the faithful faraway places. We support themedia apostolate and the distribution of religiousbooks. Another aspect of ACN’s work is to transmitinformation about the situation of the Church aroundthe world. In the interest of brevity, the abbreviation ACN is usedto refer to Aid to the Church in Need.

EgyptCandles burning inan Orthodox church©

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3Activities Report 2015Aid to the Church in Need

She recalls, “the testimonies of young

men preparing for the priesthood, the

smiling faces of devout catechists who

finally have a bicycle to make their

visits to the villages easier, the

prayers and thanks of the contemplative Sisters

who finally have the necessary equipment to make

candles, a source of revenue for them. Or the

children in Syria who received new winter boots

before the onset of the cold weather.”

ACN is – always! – essential. Not that the pontifical

charity has not been important in the past, but from

2005 to 2014, the number of Catholics in the world

has gone from 1,115 billion to 1,272 billion, which

represents 17.8% of the world population.1 The

African continent saw its Catholic population

increase by 41%, which exceeds the growth of the

entire African population (23.8%). “In fact, on all

continents except for Oceania, the number of

Catholics has increased faster than the population

as a whole,” mentions Ms. Lynch.

. . . and now, the downside

priests and laypeople with whom we work are telling

us about it. “In some countries this does not

surprise us – unfortunately, we are accustomed to

hearing talk about anti-Christian attacks in

Pakistan, in Syria and in Iraq – but what is more

recent, is the increasingly aggressive form Islam is

taking in countries where there was once a peaceful

coexistence or tolerance between Christians and

Muslims. For example, in the African countries of

the Sahel region or in the Balkans,” indicates

Regina Lynch. “And then there are countries,

especially in Africa, where Islam has never been

very present, but where it is making new inroads

via social projects and scholarships for young

people, for example in Angola, in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, and in Malawi.”

This type of Islam is not the only tradition in which

extremists are active. “For example, in some Asian

countries, other fundamentalists or extremists,

such as Hindu fanatics in India, use their political

power against minorities through subtle legal

means, including against Christians.” In China, the

communist regime continues to imprison or put

under house arrest those Catholics who do not

conform to their views. And that is not including the

sectarian groups, especially in Latin America, “that

we can no longer ignore,” she states.

Regina LynchFirst, the good

news. . .

a wordFROM THE DIRECTOR OF PROJECTS

“REFLECTING ON THE LAST YEAR, WE CAN REJOICE IN THEGOOD NEWS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE CHURCH INDIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD,” WRITES REGINA LYNCH,DIRECTOR OF THE PROJECTS SECTION FOR AID TO THE CHURCHIN NEED (ACN).

1. Zenit. org, March 9, 2016


A strong Church. . . which is counting on us

“The bishops in regions where the Church is

persecuted or suffering due to these different

forms of fundamentalism are turning to us to help

them strengthen the presence of the Church and to

strengthen the faith of their people,” writes Regina

Lynch. “Sometimes, this can be something as

concrete as replacing a small mud hut with a new

chapel, or even rebuilding the churches of the

Maiduguri diocese in the north of Nigeria, which

were burned by Boko Haram. We can also help with

the construction of houses for the priests and

Sisters who wish to be present among their

believers.”

She points out that often in times of crisis, “they

[the brothers and Sisters] are the first ones to

whom people turn.” Which implies that, at each

moment in their lives, they must be fed spiritually

and . . . in a very concrete way as well! “That is why

we are sending priests Mass Offerings and

providing Sisters with subsistence aid. The

contemplative Sisters keep the local Church in

their prayers, but they also need a place to stay and

a source of revenue. We are providing this essential

support,” indicates the director.

The same is true for the catechists, who must also

be well trained in order to transmit the faith. “The

bishops emphasize the necessity to help people

know and grow in their faith, particularly if they have

to endure the physical and psychological attacks of

fundamentalist groups. That is why they are asking

us for support in the training of catechists or for

curriculum on the fundamental principles of the

faith. Bibles, religious books, radio or TV shows,

and even a pastoral centre can help to accomplish

this task.”

The boundless generosity of ourbenefactors

Again this year, ACN benefactors displayed

boundless generosity. Meaning in 2015, a total of

$137,750,000 CAN, was donated to finance

various projects – 6,209 projects in total-,

distributed as follows: 29.3% for projects in Africa,

21.6% in the Near East, 16.6% in Central and

Eastern Europe, 15.2% in Asia, 13.5% in Latin

America, 3.1% for the western world and 0.8% for

international projects covering several regions or

continents.

We received over 8,000 requests – this is a new

record. Approximately 1,110 projects had to be

turned down, mainly due to a lack of funds, and the

remaining projects were postponed to 2016.

Fortunately we were able to meet the increased

number of seminarians in the Church by supporting

the training of 1,406 seminarians more than the

year before. The greatest increase was observed in

Africa. In total, we supported 11,075 seminarians

worldwide, that is, one out of ten seminarians. In

Africa, one out of two seminarians received our

help, which follows the rhythm of the growth of the

Church.

3,124 Sisters and 1,404 contemplative Sisters

received our support. Chapels, convents,

seminaries and pastoral centres were built, for a

total of 1,705 construction projects. In order to

spread the Gospel, 1,255 priests, brothers and

sisters received means of transportation such as

cars, donkeys or boats.

The variety of projects financed reminds us of the

diversity of the Church and of its needs. “Various

challenges await us in 2016,” concludes Regina

Lynch. “Unfortunately, many remain unchanged as

religious fundamentalism and political instability in

many areas of the world do not show any signs of

slowing down. But 69 years of existence as an

organization have shown us that we must have faith

in Divine Providence and our Divine Mother, and

that even what is seemingly impossible can become

possible.”


LAST FALL, POPE FRANCIS CAME TO AFRICA. HIS HISTORICAL VISIT WAS SEEN AS THESTEPPING STONE TO NUMEROUS HOPES FOR PEACE, INCLUDING, AMONG OTHERS, IN THECENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR). MSGR. DIEUDONNÉ NZAPAILANGA, BANGUI’S YOUNGARCHBISHOP WRITES: “AS I MENTIONED IN MY CHRISTMAS MESSAGE, THE ANGEL OF GODAPPEARED THROUGH THE POPE TO PROCLAIM THE MESSAGE OF PEACE.”

Still standing!

By coming to Central Africa, the Popeper formed an act of faith that I willnever forget. The safety conditionsweren’t ideal. However, he dared, andGod dried our tears,” he continues.

Pope Francis also stated: “this visit [to CAR] wasin fact the first one in my intentions, because thiscountry seeks to escape from a very difficultperiod of violent conflict and great suffering forthe population.”

Thanks to the benefactors of our work, hundredsof pilgrims were able to come and meet him. Wepurchased vehicles to transport pilgrims, andthese are now useful to the Church in its pastoraland evangelization work.

The country has gone through a period ofsignificant violence between Christians andMuslims (coming from Chad and Sudan), and Anti-Balaka animists, which adds to the endemicpoverty of one of the poorest countries on theplanet.

Even if the war is over today, there is still a lot ofwork to be done when it comes to pacifying thecountry. “A path of listening, dialogue andreconciliation is ongoing, because wounds aregaping,” says Christine du Coudray, ACN’sprogram manager for Africa. The Church can play,and is playing, a crucial role in the reconstructionof the country. Thus it nourishes the soul ofCentral Africans, thanks to 53 monstrances which

“

Africa

KenyaYoung people learning catechism


were supplied by the government in order to haveperpetual adoration in the country’s nine dioceses. Other testimonies to the power of this November2015 visit? “As soon as the Pope set foot onkilometre 5*, Muslims and non-Muslimsspontaneously star ted embracing each other, asthough the Pope’s presence had liberated a powerwhich annihilated all of the forces of evil,” a manconfided to a Franciscan.

The Pope, an Apostle of Peace

Certainly, if the Pope’s visit on African soil was tosupport the CAR population, it was also meant torestate the strength and the necessity for aninterreligious dialogue, in Uganda and in Kenya, anencouragement for local Churches to always beagents of peace.

In a context where radical Islam is makingconsiderable advances in places which were not evenunder its influence a few years ago, the Church mustremain vigilant. For example, in Kenya, Muslims makeup only 11% of the population. Fundamentalist forcesare seeking to increase their presence by buildingnumerous mosques, by establishing radio stationsand by attracting young graduates with scholarships.There are also incursions of terrorist groups such asAl-Shabaab (an offshoot of Al-Qaida) which pose asignificant threat. We simply need to remember theGarissa University massacre in April 2015, in which145 non-Muslim students were shot point blank.

The Kenyan Church continues to want to respondpeacefully to these acts of hate. The construction ofchurches and presbyteries, the training of

seminarians, the support to clergy with massofferings, the installation of diocesan radio stations,are all examples of our on-site support. The youngKenyan Catholics of the diocese of Homa Bay (centralwestern part of the country) are not forgotten as theycan now count on a YOUCAT Centre, named after thecatechism designed for youth during Madrid’s WYD in2011. Lastly, an anglophone John Paul II Centre forthe Family was opened, a first in this language,although the centre was already present infrancophone Africa.

A continent under pressure

Often accused of corruption by some of itsgovernments, the African continent is facing anotherchallenge which could prove to be devastating: therise of radical Islam. In Nigeria, Boko Haram not onlykidnapped young girls (April 2014), but also set fire tochurches and various buildings belonging to theChurch. Fortunately, the decline in terrorist forces isgood news.

We have already given $275,500 CAN to the dioceseof Maiduguri, the most affected by acts of violence,for the reconstruction of its infrastructure, along withan emergency aid of $87,000 CAN to provide suppliesto the returning families.

In North Africa, in countries such as Mali, Niger, Chad,Libya, North Cameroun, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco,and Mauritania, our organization is worried about thelocal Churches – very much a minority – whichexperience incidents which reflect the radicalorientation of certain Islamic groups in North Africa. “Their attacks are aimed at rejecting Western culture,any form of openness to dialogue and a peacefulcoexistence,” states Rafaël D’Aqui, project managerfor the greater part of North Africa. During a meetingwith the bishops of these countries, Pope Francisparticularly recognized, “the courage, loyalty andperseverance of Libyan bishops, as well as that ofpriests, brothers and lay people who remain in thiscountry despite innumerable dangers”. A situationwhich can be applied to North Africa as a whole.

The Christian presence on Islamic soil is destined tobe that of a universal sister or brother, as was thepresence of Charles de Foucauld, who we areremembering this year 100 years after this death. Itis a presence encouraged by Aid to the Church inNeed.

Central African Republic The highly anticipated visit of PopeFrancis, ‘the dawning of Peace’


The family is at the heart of ourconcerns

Another challenge faced by the African Church isthe accompaniment of families, in the line ofthought of the two synods and the post-synodapostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, The Joy ofLove. In Angola and in Mozambique, and also inGuinea-Bissau, we are supporting the familyapostolate with various training aids. It is just asessential to do so in places like São Tomé andPríncipe, where the suicide rate of young peopleis the highest in the entire continent. We aresupporting the local Church by establishingreligious communities, Christian communities andtraining.

Lastly, there are countries where our supportremains essential for a population left to itself. InDemocratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), theSœurs de la Résurrection (Sisters of theRessurection), a community cofounded 60 yearsago by Father Werenfried, ACN's founder, and theBelgian Sister, Mother Hadewych, are the faces ofGod’s love for the most destitute. These 208semi-contemplative Sisters allow for the word ofthe Gospel to come alive in many regions, suchas the archdiocese of Bukavu, where the illegaland corrupt exploitation of natural resourcestakes place right under the noses of its people. Infact, this people only gets crumb compared to thehuge profits generated by their local resources. Itis the stage of much violence, murders, rape ofchildren and women.

We are supporting the community and a large partof the Church in this region through training,subsistence aid and mass offerings.

The beautiful island of Madagascar alsopossesses extraordinary riches, but, as in DRC,the population does not see any sign of it. “TheChurch is almost the only hope for the population.It opens many schools, thanks to the admirablework of various indigenous or missionary religiousorganizations,” writes Christine du Coudray. Shealso highlights an event that was well-attendedthis year by the country’s Catholics: the visit ofthe relics of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and of herparents “for three months, in the middle of thejubilant and praying crowd,” she adds. A visitwhich was realized with the invaluable help of ourbenefactors.

Finally, a forgotten conflict: the two Sudans. Ethnicconflicts, massive corruption and killings are thecause of an ever-increasing distress within thepopulation. In this context, the bishops needstrength to achieve their mission, especially sincethere are still only six bishops for nine dioceses!Therefore, thanks to you, in January, Rome’sCongregation for the Propagation of Faith invitedthe whole Episcopal Congregation, incorporatedinto one for both countries, to a retreat in MountTabor (Israel), followed by a workshop to studytogether the problems and solutions pertaining tothis particular Church. The bishops also met PopeFrancis. “They went back to their missions inpeace and hope and we remain by their side,attentive to this Church, which remains our priorityin Africa,” concluded Mrs. Du Coudray.

Central African RepublicProducing doors and windows forthe village of Bang: villagers withtheir possessions

*District of Bangui, the capital, particularly affected bysectarian violence in recent years.

UgandaA priest visiting and blessing an elderly woman


The enormous influence of the Arabcountries is visible and the Churchis afraid of losing its Christianidentity, hence the importance ofPope Francis’s visit to Sarajevo on

June 6, 2015. This visit had two basic goals: tohighlight the 20th anniversary of the DaytonAgreement which put an end to the war in Bosniaand Herzegovina; and the 100th anniversary of thebeginning of World War I, in Sarajevo, in 1914.

The highlight of this visit was the Mass celebratedin the stadium with youth and the meeting of thePope with young people from the John Paul II

Youth Pastoral Centre: an “investment” in thecountry’s youth, according to the Centre’srepresentatives and a support which ACN ensureswith the trust and hope that these youngChristians will become agents of peace in acountry where peace is still very fragile. “Withoutpeace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is nopeace in the Balkans,” stated Europeanparliamentarians in 1994. Catholics, despite theirdiscouragement in the face of rising Muslimfundamentalism, feel it is their duty to promotepeace and dialogue between everyone in Bosniaand Herzegovina. ACN is supporting them in thisdifficult work.

So many challenges! WHERE TO BEGIN? THE CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS MOSAIC OF THE EASTERNEUROPEAN COUNTRIES IS GREAT, AND THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES FROM ASOCIOECONOMIC POINT OF VIEW. IN SOME COUNTRIES, SUCH AS BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA,THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS AS HIGH AS 60%! FURTHERMORE, IN THIS COUNTRY, THE RISEOF A MORE RADICAL ISLAM CAUSES CATHOLICS TO WORRY THAT DISCRIMINATION AGAINSTTHEM WILL INCREASE, OR WORSE, THAT THEY WILL BE PERSECUTED.

Eastern Europe and Russia

Pope Francis during his visitto Sarajevo


Ukraine: a persistent desire for freedom

The events in Maïdan Nezalezhnosti(Independence Square), Kiev - riots whichcontinued for three months in 2013 in the Square,demanding the departure of the pro-Russianpresident, Viktor Ianoukovitch – are “a catechesisfor everyone,” said Mgr. Gullickson, Ukraine’sformer nuncio. Now president of the UkrainianCatholic University of Lviv, he states that, twoyears after the death of one of the protesters whoalso attended the University, these eventsrepresented a chance for the “desire for peace,for freedom of the press, for a fair judicial systemand for equality before the law. [. . .] and thatcorruption must disappear [. . .] This is why helost his life,” says the prelate.

Life is still difficult in this country which is fiercelypassionate about its independence. The economyis slow and there is galloping inflation since theOrange Revolution. Survival is often a miracle! Andthen, there is the “War in Donbass” in which pro-Russians, concentrated in the eastern part of thecountry, come face to face with the Ukrainianloyalists. War almost always gives rise toquestions of meaning in the heart of the peopleinvolved. According to the provincials of theRedemptorists, the population is opening itsheart to God, the Church and the volunteercommitment.

The Church – with its Eastern rites and its Latinrites – is called upon to support the population.“We bring the Word to the people and arepreaching forgiveness and love,” says FatherMikolaj. Thanks to our emergency aid, bishopswere able to provide comfort in this prevailingdistress.

Sisters have not been spared by this very difficulteconomy. “The price of gas is so high that we areliterally throwing our money into the fire. We mustswitch to wood ASAP!” wrote the president of theWomen’s Eastern Religious Superiors. That is whyour support to subsistence is so crucial.

Their devotion and their way of humbly helping thepoor, the sick, the homeless and the families area testimony to what can shine the brightest in thetrue light of the Church: to be of service to thosewho need the most help and the love of theirneighbour. A Sister’s convent will always remaina place where everyone is welcome, irrespectiveof religion.

Whether due to deep psychological harm,depression, or existential anxieties, or simplyduring life’s difficult moments, everyone islistened to and helped. It was brought to our

UkraineSupport for peopledisplaced due to conflict

UkraineSisters receive our support


attention how much people were begging forreligious objects despite not knowing what theyare, but simply because “it helps.” In 2015, weespecially tried to support the initial andcontinued training of Sisters, and also helpedthem with buying apartments or houses. Theirapostolate in hospitals and senior and fosterhomes, as well as their action for life are a greattestimony of faith and a contribution toevangelization.

We also invested a large part of the donations wereceived in the training of seminarians, as theyare a priority for us. Among the numerous projectswe supported thanks to the help of ourbenefactors is notably the last phase of therenovation of the inter-diocesan seminary in Ivano-Frankivsk, where 260 seminarians are preparingthemselves for the sacerdotal life.

In 2015, our aid was also focussed on smallerconstruction or renovation projects. Smallparishes often need churches. This gives peoplethe possibility to practice their faith in acommunity setting. These projects are proof thatthe Church recognizes the signs of times, that is,we have to help all those who are in search oftheir Christian roots and a path to God. We canreally observe that people are increasinglysearching for churches as places of silence,consolation and of personal encounters with theliving God.

A priest from Kiev’s eparchy wrote: “yourinternational support is a visible sign of thepresence of God and His care for us. When Icelebrate the Divine Liturgy for my Christianbrothers in other countries, it helps me feel like amember of the universal Church. This feeling ofnot being alone is of great importance, especiallyduring the difficult times Ukraine is goingthrough.”

Although Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine tookup more space in our work this year, countriessuch as Kosovo, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegroand Belarus were also places where the localChurch is receiving help. At the end of September,ACN took part in a conference during which otherorganizations such as ours discussed the futureof Christian communities in this area, and thetheme was: how to support the Christian minorityof the Balkans! To be continued in 2016.

Russia: an historical meeting!

Russian specialist for ACN, Peter Humeniukqualified the meeting between Pope Francis andPatriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia, whichtook place in Havana, Cuba, on February 12,2016, as “historical.” Why include this in this2015 report? “This is an event which waspreceded by 25 years of efforts by Aid to theChurch in Need,” he says; the last visit of an ACN

Bosnia-HerzegovinaAre the construction of new mosques financedoutside the country endangering the currentequilibrium?

Stup/SarajevoA cross crowns the Carmelitesconvent


delegation to Russia goes back to February 2015.After a close to 1,000 year schism between theRoman Catholic Church and the Russian OrthodoxChurch, this coming together was prepared in“strict confidentiality.”

Mr. Humeniuk reports that “the atmosphere of themeeting was “brotherly” and was in the characterof the “beginning of a long journey between thetwo Churches.” According to him, this meetingalso highlights a less encouraging aspect: that ofthe state of the world. The 30 points of the jointdeclaration reflect this: the plight of the world, thethreat of a world war, the genocide of Christiansin the Middle East and in North Africa, the threatsagainst the family and traditional Christian values,especially in the West. The specialist considersthat “In such a context and time, it would bedisastrous not to be able to speak as one voice.”

With regard to the future co-operation with theOrthodox Church, an in-depth review of the jointdeclaration has begun and will continue, butalready, regarding the accuracy of this declaration,ACN knows that it will encourage common signsof solidarity with the Christians persecuted in theMiddle East and will focus its support on thecommon activities and programs which promotethe family as a whole.

In 2016, ACN will continue its partnership withthis large part of Europe. To this end, a journey ofmeetings and recognition – in order to bettergrasp the needs of the Church – is planned forRussia’s neighbouring countries – former Sovietrepublics – Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.Russia itself will also be the object of a trip.

A declining senior population

Romania, Moldavia and Albania are countries rarelyin the news. However, the migratory situation isdramatic. For example, in the latter two countries,one sixth and nearly half, respectively, of thelabour force live and work elsewhere. They areamong those who harvest the fruits andvegetables found on the tables of the Germans,French, Italians, etc.

This absence of youth creates an emptiness in theChurch, but we can’t let a Church crumblebecause there are only a small handful of seniorsat Mass. Thus, in these countries, ACN invests inthe support of priests and seminarians, in therenovation of presbyteries and in the support ofcatechists who help grow and nourish the faith ofchildren and teenagers, along with helping withthe transport over long distances by helping withtransportation.

The support of the benefactors is thus crucial inEurope’s forgotten regions, but always preciousin God’s eyes.

AlbaniaThe challenge of providing herwith a future in her own country

History in action - Meeting ofRussian Orthodox Patriarch Kirilland Pope Francis


MiddleEast

In Syria, the bishops of the country talkabout the tragedy of war. Msgr. SamirNassir is one of these bishops. “After fourhours of walking through the mountains andvalleys, a mother was forced to abandon

her two youngest children by the side of the roadbecause she no longer had the strength to carrythem.” She chose to save the other two.

There is also the story of the father who losteverything and who compared his situation tothat of a beetle trapped at the bottom of a

container. “It runs in circles until it dies at thebottom. This is what I am living,” he said.

An increasingly fragile presence

Patriarch Gregorios III, spiritual head of the MelkiteGreek Catholic Church, uses the image of a“tsunami” to talk about the massive migration ofChristians from the Middle East. In August 2015,in an open letter to young people, he wrote thatthe exodus was so significant that he seriously

Testimonies fromChristians, the seeds for new hope!

IraqConfession in a Baghdad refugeecamp, dedicated to the Virgin Mary

WE HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES SINCE THE CONFLICTS BEGAN INIRAQ AND SYRIA. “THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST REMAINS DOMINATED BY THE WAR INSYRIA AND THE ISLAMIC STATE’S (IS) VIOLENT ACTS IN IRAQ,” WRITES FATHER ANDRZEJHALEMBA, PROJECT SECTION MANAGER FOR THIS PART OF THE WORLD.


questioned the future of the Church in Syria. “Thewave of emigration [. . .] breaks my heart, hurtsme deeply and deals me a mortal blow. What isthe future of the Church in the face of such atsunami of emigration? [. . .] What will become ofour parishes and religious institutions?”

We are meeting the needs of those who stay,whether by obligation or by choice. In 2015, wedistributed food, clothes, diapers and formula,as well as providing support to the membersdevoted to the Church, who, for their part,continue to accompany and fortify the populationin their faith, despite everything. . .

This humanitarian work impresses even the mostfanatical. Father Jacques Mourad, kidnapped inMay and released in October, let us know. “WhatAid to the Church in Need did for us played agreat role in my liberation,” reckons this apostleof interreligious dialogue. As a matter of fact, oneof his friends who had ties to the Islamic State(IS) mentioned to Father Jacques that he wasimpressed by the material aid he had provided tothe town of Karyatayn, to which ACN contributedin part.

Iraq, nothing gained

It is not because Christians live in relativefreedom in some of Iraq’s areas – the capital ofBaghdad – that the battle has been won. On thecontrary, we are noticing a frightening trend ofislamization because of law bills which result ina regression of religious freedom. All of this givesChristians the feeling of being abandoned, andcompletely neglected by their government.

We can also question if the sectors in the townsthat were once Christian – still under the controlof IS or close to liberation – will be given back tothem. “Aid to the Church in Need is ready toguarantee assistance in the construction of aChristian infrastructure” in these zones, statesthe project manager for this section, FatherHalemba. But, will it be too late?

Egypt: A light at the end of the tunnel?

The beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Orthodox on abeach in Libya in February 2015 was an importantoccurrence in this tragic year. Paradoxically, thisevent may be one of the triggering events of greatersympathy from the Egyptian people for one of itssignificant religious minorities.

Following this martyring, the Egyptian presidentnot only bombarded the IS positions in Libya, butalso began construction – at the expense of theState– of a large church in their memory.Moreover, the original location of the martyrs wasrenamed “Village of the Martyrs.” Finally, manyMuslims sent messages of sympathy and statedthat they admired the fidelity demonstrated bythese people assassinated towards their faith.According to the Orthodox Coptic pope,Tawadros II, Egypt is “on the road to renewal.”After years of discrimination and persecution, areChristians finally seeing the light at the end ofthe tunnel?

IraqA displaced woman fromthe Nineveh Plain in hertraditional dress


New Ethiopian famine

Ethiopia is one the world’s oldest Christiancommunities. But it also has a large number ofnew Christian communities and newlyevangelized areas, as some tribes are cominginto contact with Christianity for the first time.These areas have no electricity, little water andare characterized by extreme heat. Solar panelsand donkeys are treasures in these remoteareas, which is why ACN benefactors arecontributing to purchase them.

Refugees from South Sudan are also verynumerous in Ethiopia, a country which accountsfor the greatest number of refugees on theAfrican continent. We are present to supportthese populations through local Catholiccommunities. Lastly, other regions are also facedwith famine. Our charity is committed tosupporting more than 1,400 families ofcatechists, and thus becoming the first to helpthe Ethiopian Church through this humanitariancrisis affecting approximately 18 million people.

SyriaA grieving family following anattack by the Islamic State

© Secretary of Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Homs and Hama

EthiopiaSouth Sudanese in Catholicrefugee camps


F irst of all, in South America, weremain firm in our commitment tothe Church in Colombia and Bolivia,both of which have seen 12 projectsequally approved (6-6), in support of

seminarians and the promotion of vocations.However, it is Peru’s Church which, this year,receives the lion’s share. In fact, 19 projectsnow allow for better training of future priests andfor good reason: the challenge faced by theChurch due to the advent of new religioustraditions, often with sectarian undertones andaggressive proselytism, is great.

Moreover, although from a secular Catholictradition, the level of religious knowledge withinthe population is generally low.

Support for the service of priests and thetraining of teams of lay catechists, as well as theconstruction of small chapels are absolutelycrucial for the Word and the face of God to reachthis very large, poor and abandoned population.We support this development.

Intercontinental change LATIN AMERICA (SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA) IS A CHANGING REGION. WHILE THE ECONOMYIS MUCH BETTER IN SOME COUNTRIES AND ALLOWS THE LOCAL CHURCHES TO FINALLY BEABLE TO DEVELOP GREATER FINANCIAL AUTONOMY, THE VALUES CONVEYED BY THE THEOLOGYOF PROSPERITY* SOMETIMES COUNTERACT THOSE SUPPORTED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH INITS WORK WITH FOR THE MOST DESTITUTE. A LOOK AT 425 MILLION CATHOLICS (40% OFCATHOLICS IN THE WORLD) EXPERIENCING ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUSCHANGES.

Latin America

PeruA growing Church in needof you


Dangerous work bearing fruit

The high southern plains region is one of Peru’spoorest and holds a significant aboriginalpresence consisting of Quechua and Aymara. Forthe last ten years, ACN has resolutely supportednew bishops in order to strengthen localseminaries, which were once almost devoid ofvocations. Due to the lack of priests, many ofthe Sierra parishes – each generally comprisedof over 30 small isolated communities – werepastorally neglected and even abandoned.

The last ten years have therefore allowed us toappreciate the first real fruits of a truemissionary service, in spite of the difficulties,which also often prove to be dangerous for themembers of the local Church.

We can also address a difficult and dangeroussituation for another Church, one located inCentral America. In Guatemala, the presence ofviolent street gangs – a phenomenon also seenin Honduras and in El Salvador – can beexplained by difficult family situations and aneducation system unable to reach marginalareas. The Church accepts the difficult task ofstaying with these young people so that one day,the cycle of violence might be broken.

There are signs of hope. For example, we oftenattend celebrations where popular participationis considerable, par ticularly among youngpeople. In many communities, retreats and

meetings with youth are also very popular andthe commitment of lay people is also significant.

At the same time, priestly vocations aregradually increasing. The missionary fatherscoming from abroad are being replaced by a newgeneration of local priests, and in a more evidentway outside the capital of Guatemala City. In thisdelicate process of generational change, crucialfor the future of the Guatemalan Church, it isextremely important to provide this young clergywith adequate training and material for it todevelop its pastoral service, especially in thepoorest regions.

Guatemala’s paradox is that although there is anincrease, the Catholic Church still consists ofless than half of the 14 million inhabitants. Theother religious traditions are Evangelical andconsist of 38% of the population, against 46%for the Catholics, while 14% do not officiallyclaim any religious affiliation. The remaining 2%is spread out among other Protestant traditions.

A building, a sign of God

The support that we have given to the countryover the last few years focusses mainly on smallgrants for construction projects, mostly forchurches and chapels. After visiting last year, wecan confirm that this type of help, together witha strengthening of training initiatives, meets aparticular requirement of the local Church: thechapels, in many cases, in addition to beingmeeting places, represent unity and the centreof community life.

The population shows a strong commitment tobuilding churches, providing labour and allpossible assistance, despite its limited means.The construction of these places reinforces thesense of belonging to the Church and neutralizesthe aggressive actions of sectarian groups, bothin the towns and in the smaller villages.

In the neighbouring country of El Salvador, thebeatification of Msgr. Romero, martyr of thefaith, attracted attention. We support the localChurch initiatives which aim to heal the wounds

Subsistence aid in Latin America:Here, beneficiary Sisters support ACNbenefactors


of the civil war from the 1980s, during which theBlessed died, as did thousands of ChristianCatholics, lay Catholics, Sisters and priests,witnesses of faith. By building places of worshipand through various publications, ACN isrenewing its commitment to heal the wounds ofthe civil war, in the spirit of the Year of Mercy.

More to the North, conditions are still critical inHaiti, the Pearl of the Antilles. Due to its lack ofdevelopment and an unstable and violentpolitical climate, the reconstruction of chapels,churches, convents and presbyteries as well asother ecclesial buildings remains difficult sixyears following the devastating earthquake ofJanuary 2010. The high cost of preliminaryseismic studies – necessary to thereconstruction – added to the transport costs ofthe material, further complicates this work.

Yet, we continue with our support to the localChurch. Reconstruction, while important, is notthe only means which is encouraged. We arehelping the local Church find the best way toprovide for the evangelization to the poorest.Lastly, we have also helped by purchasingvarious means of transportation, as we also didelsewhere in Latin America.

A journey of hope: the Pope in Cuba!

Regarding the visit of Pope Francis to thecountry, Ulrich Kny, project manager of the LatinAmerican section which includes Cuba, writes:“Even if many observers, as well as theinternational press, wanted above all to givegreat political importance to the Pope’s visit,and some regretted that the violation of humanrights and other violence in the country were notseverely criticized, we must not forget that it isnot as a head of State, but as a missionary ofcharity, that the Supreme Pontif f arrived inCuba.”

“In his luggage, he mainly brought the messageof Jesus’ “logic of love”: a selfless love at theservice of one’s neighbour; a love which, with acharitable glance, is able to transform hearts; apenetrating love which comes to visit and builds

bridges; a love that is most evident in family life.Pope Francis invited all “to live the revolution oftenderness, like Mary, the Mother of Mercy.” InHavana, he reminded young people of a cultureof encountering and, despite differentviewpoints, Cubans must build a socialfriendship seeking a common good, and they

CubaFinally the Church is coming out frombehind the walls - Alleluia!

CubaPope Francis on an historic visit,here during the Vespers with thepriests and consecrated people


must go together in search of hope, the futureand the nobility of the country.”

Unusually, Cuban state television reported onthe Pope’s visit with live broadcasts anddocumentaries, at a never before seen level.This was the first time since the Castrorevolution that a Catholic priest was able tocomment on televised broadcasts, live. Millionsof Cubans were therefore able to follow Francis’captivating sermons and speeches in theirmother tongue. Even the Holy Father’s gestures– his way of reaching out to people, of giving hiswhole attention to the people who were able topersonally say hello to him, and to bless the sickand the children – his openness, his warmth andhis humanity remained deeply engraved in thehearts of all Cubans.

That being said, the challenges are still great forthe Christians. “Even if, at first glance, thesituation as a whole hasn’t changed much inCuba, the bishops, priests, consecrated peopleand lay people have committed themselves withan impressive creativity in order for the seedssown to keep on developing,” recalled M. Kny.

Support for this Church remains essential,including the financing of the creation ofpremises for the celebration and transmission

of the Faith, for continuing education andformation. We are also ensuring a subsistenceand mobility aid for some ecclesial collaborators.The distribution of Bibles and of catecheticalmaterial, as well as the diffusion of religioussymbols is also on the agenda in this state where60 years of communist regime have greatlyimpregnated the population. The rate of religiouspractice – all faiths combined – is only 15%.

Farther south, corruption cripples

Lastly, in Argentina and Brazil, the constructionof churches and chapels is a sign of hope, incountries plagued by corruption. “The churchesand chapels are a visible sign of hope, of life, oflove and of the fact that there is something moreahead,” as our project partner living in a denselypopulated suburb of Buenos Aires, the capital ofArgentina, writes.

We cannot end our Latin American overviewwithout naming the countries where other localChurches benefit from the generous support ofAid to the Church in Need’s benefactors:Venezuela, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. In thelatter, very secularized country, the local Churchis one of the poorest on the continent, and this,despite a stable economy. Our support is alsoessential.

“The great majority of our project partners areaware of the fact that our help relies on prayerand selfless generosity,” concludes Ulrich Kny.“The often touching reports, testimonials andthank you letters we receive from Latin Americaattest to this. We gladly thank our benefactorsand assure them of the prayers through whichmany bishops, priests; consecrated and laypeople “return the favour” for the charitybestowed upon them.”

BrasilPastoral youth group in prayer© Fabio Varela

*Religious belief which claims that God increases a person’sfinancial riches, according to the size of his faith.


W here to begin? First, theChinese giant. Despitecurrent difficulties, thiscountry continues to be akey player in the global

economy. However, it is very different when itcomes to fundamental freedoms. The communistparty which has been in power since the 1949revolution, wants religions to develop a“sinicized” theological thought according toPresident Xi Jiping (May 2015), which means toserve the goals of socialism as conceived by theleaders of the “Middle Kingdom.” According tosome experts, the regime uses this expressionto preserve the stability of the society in thesedifficult economic times.

In 2015, the campaign of elimination and thedestruction of places of worship in the provinceof Zhejiang (south-east) continued to worry theparishes, even though it was mainly Protestant

churches which were targeted. Some estimatestell us that in 2015, about 1,500 crosses wereremoved, not counting the churches which werepartially or totally demolished.

However, we are observing a constant growth ofthe Catholic Church in China and the believerscontinue to want to deepen their faith. The powerof attraction of Catholic parishes is undeniable,especially among the young and educated citizenssignaling a certain maturity. Many parishesorganized prayer vigils for the Christians of Syriaand Iraq during lent, thereby responding to the callof Pope Francis. Our China specialist wrote: “[. . .]even the countless efforts made by the State toregulate, inventory and control the Church, andespecially to dismantle its crosses, attest to thefact that until now, the State has not managed torestrain the propagation of Christianity in thePeople’s Republic.

A strong faith THE ASIAN CONTINENT IS A WORLD IN ITSELF. SO MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES AND SOCIALSITUATIONS LIVE SIDE BY SIDE. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS INCREASINGLY PRESENT IN ASIAAND PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GREATER SOCIAL JUSTICE, A SEARCH FORMEANING AND A DIALOGUE BETWEEN CULTURES AND RELIGIONS.

Asia

ChinaA country where the Catholic Church holds to its faith, despite it all


Myanmar/Burma, the joy of a yet-to-build society

The return of democracy is a balm for a societywhich lived in a regime of fear for decades. TheChurch stood alongside this population indistress and now looks to the future with a greatdeal of hope.

However, the legacy of the military junta ispoison: indescribable harm to the economy,ecology and especially to the souls of the country.The pastoral leaders will have a lot to do toprovide direction to their faithful, protect youthfrom drug addiction, human trafficking andprostitution. We must also demonstrate otheroptions other than materialism, and the duty offighting poverty, strengthening families andseeing that the Church again provides its owncontribution to the school system.

Burma’s Church is lucky in that its population isvery pious, regardless of religious tradition.Furthermore, according to the regions, between65% and 90% of Catholics attend Sunday mass.Lastly, the Rosary prayer is very popular. As forfaith education, women’s religious communitiesshow a strong interest in the Bible apostolate.

In 2015, our support to the Burmese Churchtranslated into the construction and renovation ofchapels, churches, training centres, presbyteriesand religious homes. Coupled with an adequateeducation in faith, the presence of these religiousbuildings provides roots to the Christiancommunities.

Lastly, as a premise for this mostly joyous year,the consistory of February 2015 gave the countryits first cardinal, Yangon’s archbishop, Msgr.Charles Maung Bo.

Bangladesh, a contested freedom

As for this small, flat country surrounded by theIndian giant, the situation is difficult. If poverty isamong the difficulties, persecution is more andmore significant for the Christian minority. A priestof the Italian foreign missions, Father Paroli, wasshot: a very real trauma for him and the Christiancommunity. Not to mention the Protestant pastorsand laypeople who received death threats andwere also targets of fanatic Muslims. “TheChristian community is under tension,” stated thebishop of Dinajpur, Msgr. Sébastien Tudu, whoasks that we pray for his country and, moreparticularly, for his diocese.

Farther to the south, in Sri Lanka, the visit of PopeFrancis in January was a great success, “coupledwith a tremendous opportunity to finally open atrue path of reconciliation between the Tamils andthe Singhalese,” says Véronique Vogel, projectmanager for this section of Asia. Francis wasconsequently able to throw bridges of fraternitytoward part of the Buddhist community, hostile tothe Christian minority.

In his address to the Catholic community, thePope focussed on the necessary andindispensable memory work to close the pastwounds and injustices tied to the civil war.Combining speech with action, he met with Tamilfamilies and visited the Marian sanctuary ofMadhu (400 years old), along with canonizing theBlessed Joseph Vaz, considered the apostle ofCeylon. The continuing education of priests andseminarians, the construction or reconstructionof churches and pastoral centres, as well as therestoration of the national seminary were amongthe projects supported in 2015.

Religious freedom threatened?

To create a pure nation, led solely by Hindus. Thisis, in short, is what the ultranationalist party inpower in India, the BJP, wishes. The abuses, redtape and injustices suffered by Christians arenumerous.

In 2015, two Sisters were raped in the State ofBengal. And, “these are not isolated incidents,”says Ms. Vogel, also project manager for thisregion. In Chhattisgarh and in the MadhyaPradesh, the very strict anti-conversion laws createa palpable climate of insecurity among Catholics.

Myanmar/BurmaThe Bible in the Burmese language


For example, in Chhattisgarh, the regionalgovernment would like to be a champion ofmodernity: development of the road system,entire neighbourhoods under construction,support for the mining industry, etc. All this to thedetriment of tribes who have been living there forcenturies. In support of the principles of socialministry, the Church is defending them.

Another particularity is that Hindu extremismcompletely ignores the contribution of minoritiesto Indian society which is multicultural, multi-religious and multiethnic, and of which Christianshave been a part for hundreds of years.Fortunately, in some regions, they benefit from aconsiderable recognition, and non-fanaticalHindus will even name and honour Jesus in theirpractice, calling him Khrist Bhakta and attendingChristian sanctuaries.

Despite all the problems, we were able to help inthe construction and restoration of ecclesiasticalbuildings and to contribute to the pastoral trainingof the Dalits, or the ‘untouchables.’ In short, theChurch remains strong despites the threats inthis very diverse democracy.

Slightly to the north, an incursion into Nepal alsoallows us to see a rise in Hindu extremism, in acountry which continues to suffer theconsequences of the April 25 and May 12, 2015earthquakes. Providing support was rathercomplex, as the financial resources coming fromabroad were monopolized by the government inorder to “better manage and coordinate” thehumanitarian aid. The blockade was recently liftedand this might help support the Nepalese Church,for which, Msgr. Paul Simick, its vicar general, asksus to pray.

Pakistan, strong and suffering

Despite its many sufferings, the Pakistani Churchis showing admirable strength. Among its five to sixmillion Christians, approximately half are Catholic.Our support is similar to that provided by ACNthroughout the world, but we must also take intoconsideration that Christians must protectthemselves. We are helping with needed securitymeasures by installing security equipment aroundreligious buildings to protect the faithful.

Proof of an exemplary faith, the Centre for Peacein Lahore is directed by Dominican Father JamesChannan, who, despite anti-discriminatory lawsand constant threats from extremists, continuesto wish to apply - to the letter - the Gospel’s spiritof love. The inter-religious dialogue which hepractices is a model supported by ACN.

Lastly, this picture of the great Asian continentwould be incomplete without Christians from thePhilippines. In this mainly Catholic country (80%of the 100 million inhabitants), the Church isfacing great challenges, such as the rise ofinequality and materialism. The government’shesitation in the crisis and the peace processmanagement on the Island of Mindanao (90%Muslim) did not help the Christians’ situation.There, we support the initiatives of aninterreligious dialogue, such as the Silsilamovement which celebrated its 30th anniversaryin 2015.

Finally, we are still involved in the reconstructionof ecclesial structures which were destroyedduring Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

PakistanA slum called ‘Lane 7’

Pakistan Children in theChristian villageof Bethlehem


These offerings helped to support43,203 priests, of which 1,213had the responsibility of trainingseminarians. There are also 6,662priests from 93 different religious

communities who were able to benefit from theseMass Offerings. Therefore, in 2015, Aid to theChurch in Need supported one in nine priestsaround the world with Mass Offerings which weredistributed as follows: 42.22% in Africa, 26.09%in Asia, 15.57% in Latin America, 14.33% inEastern Europe, and 1.79% in Western Europe,for a total of $17,017,208 CAN.

Nigeria: the power of the Rosary

Their testimonies can be counted in thethousands: these Mass Offerings allow God’spresence to be felt in places where misery andgreat poverty are found. Here are two examplesof situations which remind us of the power ofprayer and spiritual solidarity!

In Nigeria, the Maiduguri diocese has sufferedgreat difficulties over the last few years. It islocated in the northeastern part of the country,in the region which endures the greatest violencefrom the Boko Haram terrorist group. Since 2009,

Central African Republic Morning Mass at Saint PeterClaver Cathedral in Bangassou

THE STRENGTH OF ANETWORK OF LOVE!THERE IS REASON TO REJOICE! IN 2015, THE NUMBER OF MASS OFFERINGS WE WERE ABLETO SEND TO PRIESTS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD INCREASED ONCE AGAIN. COMPARED TOLAST YEAR, THERE WAS AN INCREASE OF 212,317 MASS OFFERINGS, SO THAT WEDISTRIBUTED A TOTAL OF 1,431,380. AS A RESULT, 3,921 MASSES WERE CELEBRATED DAILYFOR THE INTENTIONS OF OUR BENEFACTORS. ON AVERAGE, THAT IS ONE MASS EVERY 22 SECONDS!

MassOfferings


100,000 residents of the diocese have beenforced to flee. Over 5,000 Catholics have beenkilled and many Church buildings, schools andhospitals have been destroyed.

At the close of 2014, Msgr. Dashe Doeme livedthrough an impressive experience. While prayingthe Rosary in his chapel in front of the BlessedSacrament, he says that Jesus appeared to him.He did not speak and handed him a sword. Hetook the sword, and as soon as he did, it turnedinto a Rosary. Jesus then repeated three times:“Boko Haram has disappeared.” Following this,the bishop declared: “It clearly appeared to methat we could chase out Boko Haram with theRosary.” At first he did not want to talk to anyoneabout this experience, but then he felt compelledto by the Holy Spirit. He started to talk about it tothe priests of his diocese.

A few months later, the situation had in factimproved: in the spring of last year, anintervention force of the Nigerian army, associatedwith Chadian and Cameroonian troops, managedto regain some Nigerian villages occupied by BokoHaram.

Some refugees were then able to return to theirhomeland.

People now have to rebuild their lives. ThroughMasses for reconciliation and redemption, Msgr.Dashe Doeme encourages them to remain firm intheir faith, despite the suffering they haveexperienced. Moreover, he encourages them tofollow Christ’s example and forgive the terrorists.They must not let themselves get lost in thoughtsof vengeance or reprisals, which ultimately leadto a vicious cycle of violence and war. The bishopis convinced that healing is only possible ifbelievers forgive and look to the future with hopeand confidence.

Priests and sacraments are currently morenecessary than ever in order to promote theprocess of healing and forgiveness, but manypriests have themselves endured terrible things.In the Maiduguri diocese, more than half of priestshad to flee Boko Haram and have nothing left. Thisis why, in 2015, Aid to the Church in Need

forwarded a value of $43,500 CAD in MassOfferings to 69 of these priests.

India

Last year, the 23 Jesuit priests involved in thepastoral care of the tea-pickers in the State ofAssam received 900 Mass Offerings from ourbenefactors, for a total amount of $10,440 CAD,in order to be able to continue their preciousapostolate towards the underprivileged.

The State of Assam, in the northeastern part ofIndia, is the biggest tea producing area in theworld. Millions of people work in theseplantations. Many of them belong tounderprivileged ethnic minorities. They do notknow how to read or write, and are exploited.Parents work from early in the morning until lateat night in the plantations. They do not have timeto take care of their children, and as they have noeducation themselves, they do not send theirchildren to school.

The Jesuits are there in order to educate them.And adults are participating! They also offerpastoral and spiritual support to the pickers. Apresence which reminds these overexploitedpeople that they also have dignity as children ofGod. Conveying the love of God to them is anessential task. Because of these Mass Offerings,this free presence is infinitely loving and possible.Thank you!

IndiaA priest with a family in the diocese of Hyderabad


For our organization, a scholarship project issuccessful when the student returns to theirlocal Church, teaches in a faculty of theology, anovitiate or an interregional centre ofcatechesis, or any other official means set up

by the local Church. And, that they pass on the missionaryflame and passion for theology to the new generation.Therefore, awarding a scholarship is not simply a matterof financial support, but it must become prolific for boththe individual and the local community.

What is particularly delightful for us this year is that somebishops actually benefitted from our scholarships in thepast.

Scholarships to unforeseen powers

The challenge in the awarding of scholarships is also thatof local Churches: knowing how to meet the challengesfaced by the country’s society. Thus, one of ourscholarship recipients is from the Middle East. He hopesfor peace in Syria. As his fellows – Christians and Muslimsof good will – still had an urgent need for him two yearsago, he asked us to delay the scholarship. God onlyknows when and how he will be able to apply hisknowledge for the reconstruction. We pray for this tohappen quickly.

In other cases, the education we are supporting servesto reinforce the identity of a united Church in Rome, as isthe case for a Middle Eastern liturgy student. At times,studies have much greater consequences than foreseenwhen, for example, the fruits of studies are felt not onlyin India (country of origin), but also all the way to the Gulfcountries and Africa.

A Sister comes to us from Belarus. She is studyingpsychology at the Gregorian University in Rome. Duringher semester break, she is already applying what she islearning by supporting people who suffer from drugs and

alcohol addiction. She is also preparing chaplains who arehelping young people suffering from problems withalcohol, of which there are way too many in this countryof nine million people. She helps them find a way torecover from addiction and to open themselves up to God.She is also supporting the people responsible for thetraining of priests in their mission.

The main ingredient of dialogue:Humility

Other students have challenges concerning the end offundamentalism and the beginning of dialogue: what achallenge! In this regard, a priest from the north of Nigeriais particularly impressive. He is the only Christian in hisfamily and, through his studies, he is preparing himself fora dialogue with Muslims. When asked if dialogue ispossible, he simply answers: “yes.” When asked whatqualities a Christian must posess for dialogue, heanswered: “humility and extensive knowledge.” Whenasked if humility is the right attitude to have, given theMuslim feeling of superiority, his answer was: “humilityrather than submission, but a humility which comes from adeep profession of faith and a profound knowledge offaith.” According to him, this is what is missing in the West.

Finally, it is worth noting that many students – mainlySisters – come for training in Montreal, Canada, at theInstitut de Formation Humaine Intégrale de Montréal(IFHIM). Among other things, they learn to become“builders of bridges for peace” in their countries, whichare often beset by the many problems of extreme povertyand unjust and dangerous exploitation of naturalresources, particularly in Africa and Latin America.

In 2015, 33% of ACN scholarship recipients were fromAfrica, 33% from Asia, 18% from Latin America and 16%from Eastern Europe.

IndiaScholarships for 20 Sisters to attendthe Mater Dei Academy in Goa

In 2015, the number of scholarships granted by Aid to theChurch in Need decreased overall globally. A difficulty

around the question of information is observable. In fact,in a student’s application for a bursary, we cannot alwaysclearly understand whether the local Church really has anobjective of implementing the new graduate’s capacities

inside his/her local parish.

Scholarships

DEFINING THE REQUESTS


MediaCommunicating the needs of our partners through

modern means and the latest technology, this is thegreat challenge faced by the communications

department of Aid to the Church in Need.

In 2015, the press team produced numerouswritten articles, reports, radio and TV shows,two “classic” telecommunications meansused to reach benefactors and the world,which does not prevent the use of increasingly

large social networks, essential in these times ofimmediacy.

Proof of this increasingly significant use of image asa means of reaching our benefactors is that ourphotographs are much in demand: 643 requestscoming from 21 national offices, for 4,889 picturefiles. Furthermore, new pictures are added every day,for a total of over 51,000 archived pictures! Atreasure-trove of visual information on the Church inthe world, easy to use on social media such asFacebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, to name afew of the most frequently used ones.

The image as a means of invitation

In this age of the image, reaching our benefactorsthrough these means has become essential, as wellas being very quick and affordable. Last year, sixmajor prayer campaigns using these networksallowed us to alert our benefactors to the kidnappingof Father Jacques Mourad in Syria – liberated in thefall – the elections in Nigeria, as well as the visit ofthe Pope to Africa. All occasions for each of our 21national offices to present the face of our partners

and to recall the three key words of the organization:Prayer, information, action!

An “unprecedented” potential for telling a story

“Our responsibility is therefore to be faithful to thisvoice [of the Church],” recalls Mark Riedemann,Director of the Communications department for Aidto the Church in Need. “As these are projects whichare at the heart of our communications work –whether through television, print or social media – ourtarget audience identifies with our project partnersand recognizes Aid to the Church in Need as thechannel through which we meet the pastoral needsof the suffering and persecuted Church.”

“The potential to tell the story of the sufferingChurch – so that it is not isolated in its suffering –and to make our work known is unprecedented,” hesays.

A recognizable and desirable quality!

The audiovisual quality of the documentaryproduction of Catholic Radio Television Network(CRTN) – audiovisual production company and partnerof our work – is reflected in the increasing number oftelevision networks requesting our programming.

COMMUNICATING THE STORIES OF THE SUFFERING CHURCH

Central African Republic Project: Radio RDN


Where God Weeps and Donde Dios Llora, flagshipprograms produced for both television and radio,were once again produced. Over time, this show hasgrown, now reaching eight Catholic televisionnetworks in five countries, and the Spanish versionis already reaching six Catholic television networks in19 countries. Seven documentaries, in fourlanguages, also helped to present the work of theChurch across the world. CRTN also renewed theexisting broadcasting agreement, or signed newones, with 62 Catholic television stations throughoutthe world: 27 television networks in places wherenational offices are located, and 35 additionalCatholic or public television networks in 19 countriesother than those represented by national offices.

In Canada, the national office still produces someforty radio shows, Vues d’ailleurs, a francophoneprogram, is broadcast on the Catholic station RadioVM. The winter-spring season ended in April, and newshows will be produced as of August. In English, Saltand Light TV and EWTN continue to present WhereGod Weeps and the documentaries produced byCRTN.

Raising awareness: a marathon which bears fruit

Defending the interests of persecuted Christians ispart of our DNA. It is sometimes necessary to raiseawareness of the situation among parliaments

everywhere. Over the course of 2015, we organized43 concrete actions, including 17 interventions – withproject partners – for events in the EuropeanParliament. Our organization was also invited to theUnited Kingdom and to Poland by the EuropeanParliament to present Persecuted and Forgotten2013-2015? * during conferences with EuropeanChristian democrats and conservatives.

Thanks to the background work done by ACN in recentyears, the European parliaments have finallyacknowledged that there has been genocide on thepart of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq toward thereligious minorities in these countries, namely theChristians. The American Congress also acknowledgedthis state of affairs in March 2016. In Canada, a callto acknowledge the ongoing genocide, launched byNational Director Marie-Claude Lalonde, remainsunanswered by the government.

Among the many results that we thankfully achieved,we would like to mention one in particular, when thepresident of the European Parliament, Martin Shultz,declared, during a conference on the persecutedChristians that: “ . . . for a long time, we supposedthat Christians didn’t need protection, but throughoutthe years, I learned that I was wrong. The EuropeanParliament will do all it can in order for Christians tolive in peace.”

BrusselsConference on the persecution of Christians at the European Parliament, July 1st, 2015

*Report on the Religious Freedom of Christians prepared everytwo years

GERMANY [email protected]

ASTRALIA [email protected]

AUSTRIA [email protected]

BELGIUM [email protected]

BRAZIL [email protected]

COLOMBIA [email protected]

CHILE [email protected]

SPAIN [email protected]

SOUTH KOREA [email protected]

UNITED STATES [email protected]

FRANCE [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOM [email protected]

IRELAND [email protected]

ITALY [email protected]

MALTA [email protected]

THE NETHERLANDS [email protected]

MEXICO [email protected]

POLAND [email protected]

PORTUGAL [email protected]

SWITZERLAND [email protected]

GERMANNNNNY Y Y Y Y o@kirche-iiiinnn-n not.de

ASTRALLLLLIAIAIIAIA [email protected]

AUSTRIA [email protected]

BELGIUM o@kek rkinnood.be

BRRRAZIL [email protected] rg

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SOUTH KOREEEEA A A A A innnfofofof @c@@ hurchinneed.ororrr.kr

UNITITITITTEEDEEE STATES [email protected]@churchinneed.of rg

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