EUROPE/GERMANY - AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED IN 2002: 71.6 MILLION EURO FOR 6,200 PROJECTS IN 127 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES TO REBUILD CHURCHES, SUPPORT CATHOLIC CLERGY AND CATHOLIC MEDIA

Wednesday, 9 July 2003

Konigstein (Fides Service) – Offerings to Aid to the Church in Need increased in the past five years. In 2002 the Catholic aid agency, founded by the late Father Werenfried van Straaten collected 71.6 million Euro which it used to fund 6,200 projects in 127 different countries. The offerings came from 360,000 benefactors in 17 countries where ACN has national offices. These figures were in an annual report released by the ACN international office in Konigstein, Germany. The countries which offered some of the largest amounts included Germany, France and Switzerland, and donations showed a considerable increase in Brazil, Holland and Chile.
In more detail ACN says the funds went to meet requests coming from local dioceses: 18.7 million Europe for the Church in Eastern European countries; 12.8 million in Latin America; 11 million in Asia and 8.1 million in Africa. In Eastern Europe the most consistent sums went to Ukraine and Russia, and Bosnia Herzegovina where ACN is helping to rebuild and repair religious structures damaged in the war. In Africa large sums were given to support the Church in Democratic Congo and in Sudan. In 2002 for Latin America once again the priority country was Cuba, and in Asia funds went to Vietnam, China and Myanmar. In Western Europe support went mostly to initiatives to support convents of enclosed orders, family pastoral projects and pro-life activities.
Of the 6,200 projects achieved, most were religious buildings (31.7%) support for clergy (16.7%) formation (15.6%), followed by media, diffusion of religious publications, help to women religious, supplying transport to missionary can charity aid. SL (Fides Service 9/7/2003 EM lines 38 Words: 478)


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