Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - “May Almighty God grant your ‘Aid to the Church in Need" association light and strength, that also in the future it may offer help where the needs of the Church are greatest”. These are the closing words of a Message addressed on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, to the participants at an international Convention on the Occasion of the 60 years of service of “Aid to the Church in Need” ACN held in Castelgandolfo 13 - 16 September. Some 80 participants, members of the international head office, project-section managers, presidents, ecclesiastic assistants national directors discussed the future of the Association founded in 1947 by Fr Werenfried van Straaten, known as the “Bacon Priest”.
In his message the Pope speaks of “sectors deserving special attention” the media which “today exercise enormous influence on the culture and the lives of human beings. With the collaboration and the direction of competent and believing Christians that can give a powerful contribution to the diffusion of the Good News of the Gospel of Christ and Christian values”. “We see with concern - the Message reads - some particular Churches of centuries old tradition, whose existence is threatened today in the near and Middle East, and also at the numerous Catholics forced to life without pastoral guidance unable to profess their faith in public and as a community, or only within limits”.
In his address ACN international ecclesiastical assistant Fr Joaquìn Alliende, underlined that the Meeting opened on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, a fact of great significance for the Association which has sustained the persecuted and suffering Church for 60 years. Fr Alliende also spoke of the connected between the Message of Fatima and ACN, a bond which he described as «intrinsic» and which was sealed with the consecration of the Association to Our Lady of Fatima in 1967. He said because of this special bond ACN has deep confidence in the heavenly Mother and strives for conversion and to aid those in need out of love for Jesus and Mar.
Other speakers included Archbishop. Paul Josef Cordes, President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, who reflected on the Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical “Deus Caritas Est” and Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, who spoke about the greatest sufferings of the Church in the present day and what is expected of ACN now and in the years to come. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 20/9/2007 - righe 29, parole 415)
