EUROPE/PORTUGAL - “JOHN PAUL II AWARD” FOR CHAMPIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND JUSTICE AND PEACE ESTABLISHED BY LISBON BRANCH OF AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED

Lisbon (Fides Service ) – On Saturday 10 January the Portuguese branch of the Catholic aid organisation of pontifical right, Aid to the Church in Need, established the John Paul II Award for the promotion of justice and peace and religious freedom. The award will be given to people who distinguish themselves in promoting justice and peace and defending victims of religious persecution anywhere in the world. The annual award will include a prize of 50,000 US dollars and it intends to promote new evangelisation, justice and peace and respect for human rights.
The “John Paul II award” is one of the most recent initiatives of Aid to the Church in Need which for years has worked to help persecuted Christians and to promote reconciliation and peace. Another important initiative taken by the ACN Portuguese branch for this year 2004 is a Congress on the serious problem of Unemployment and its different aspects (R.Z.) (Fides Service 14/1/2004; lines 12; Parole 172)