Catholic aid group raises millions for persecuted Christians

July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
Catholic aid group raises millions for persecuted Christians
Catholic aid group raises millions for persecuted Christians


By Junno Arocho Esteves | Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY – Aid to the Church in Need raised over 111 million euros ($125 million) in 2018 to help support persecuted Christians, particularly in the Middle East, where tens of thousands of Christians have been forced to flee their homes due to ongoing war and conflicts over the last decade.

Releasing its 2018 annual report June 20, the Vatican-recognized foundation that assists minority Christian communities and people persecuted for their faith said the donations funded "no fewer than 5,019 pastoral projects in some 139 different countries" with 27% of the donations going to Africa and 25% to the Middle East.

Projects in the Middle East have increased since the 2011 Arab Spring, the foundation said. In the past seven years, it said, the foundation has devoted to the region "a total of 99 million euros ($111.8 million), of which over 18 million euros ($20.3 million) were in 2018 alone."

Over 12% of the total aid, the report said, went to assisting thousands of Christians in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Iraq, and funded the rebuilding of nearly 1,500 Christian homes.

The other nations in the top five for foundation-supported projects were India, Ukraine and Congo.

Among the projects supported by the funds collected by the Catholic aid group were 23.2 million euros ($26.2 million) for construction or reconstruction of homes, chapels, churches, convents, seminaries and pastoral centers.

Donations also funded the formation of candidates for the priesthood and religious life, education initiatives, transportation as well as the purchase and distribution of Bibles and other religious literature.

In a statement released by Aid to the Church in Need, the foundation said the annual report's figures testified to its support, "in a spirit of closeness, to the oppressed and persecuted church" as well as its ability to "react promptly" in areas where Christians are attacked.

The donations, the statement said, demonstrate "that faith has the power to overcome hatred."

 

[[In-content Ad]]

Related Stories

By Junno Arocho Esteves | Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY – Aid to the Church in Need raised over 111 million euros ($125 million) in 2018 to help support persecuted Christians, particularly in the Middle East, where tens of thousands of Christians have been forced to flee their homes due to ongoing war and conflicts over the last decade.

Releasing its 2018 annual report June 20, the Vatican-recognized foundation that assists minority Christian communities and people persecuted for their faith said the donations funded "no fewer than 5,019 pastoral projects in some 139 different countries" with 27% of the donations going to Africa and 25% to the Middle East.

Projects in the Middle East have increased since the 2011 Arab Spring, the foundation said. In the past seven years, it said, the foundation has devoted to the region "a total of 99 million euros ($111.8 million), of which over 18 million euros ($20.3 million) were in 2018 alone."

Over 12% of the total aid, the report said, went to assisting thousands of Christians in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Iraq, and funded the rebuilding of nearly 1,500 Christian homes.

The other nations in the top five for foundation-supported projects were India, Ukraine and Congo.

Among the projects supported by the funds collected by the Catholic aid group were 23.2 million euros ($26.2 million) for construction or reconstruction of homes, chapels, churches, convents, seminaries and pastoral centers.

Donations also funded the formation of candidates for the priesthood and religious life, education initiatives, transportation as well as the purchase and distribution of Bibles and other religious literature.

In a statement released by Aid to the Church in Need, the foundation said the annual report's figures testified to its support, "in a spirit of closeness, to the oppressed and persecuted church" as well as its ability to "react promptly" in areas where Christians are attacked.

The donations, the statement said, demonstrate "that faith has the power to overcome hatred."

 

[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092

e-Edition


e-edition

Sign up


for our email newsletters

Weekly Top Stories

Sign up to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every Sunday

Daily Updates & Breaking News Alerts

Sign up to get our daily updates and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox daily

Latest Stories


Order of Malta members gather for Mass with Bishop
On June 22, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., gathered with ...

Pope leads Corpus Christi procession through streets of Rome
In carrying Jesus through the ...

Bishop reflects on the ‘great mystery’ of the Eucharist during feast day Mass
On the day when the universal Church commemorates ...

US bishop urges Catholics to advocate for life on anniversary of Dobbs decision
Ahead of the June 24 anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's ...

Catholic doctor on physician assisted suicide and learning to carry each other's burdens
As New York state lawmakers recently passed a bill that would allow...


The Evangelist, 40 North Main Ave., Albany, NY, 12203-1422 | PHONE: 518-453-6688| FAX: 518-453-8448
© 2025 Trenton Monitor, All Rights Reserved.