Aid to the Church in Need, the Pontifical Foundation which supports persecuted Christians around the world, broke another record in 2022, topping A$220 million in donations received, with war-torn Ukraine receiving the largest single allocation of aid.
ACN does not receive money from governments or from other non-government organisations, which means that all this aid was only possible due to the generosity of more than 364,000 individual benefactors who donated a record total of $221,475,160 during 2022, almost $13 million more than in 2021.
“It is with gratitude and humility that we see that the blessing of the Almighty has once again rested on our work, and that our benefactors have heard the cries of our oppressed brothers and sisters. This allows us to face the future with confidence, even though our help will continue to be needed for years to come,” said departing International Executive President of ACN, Thomas Heine-Geldern, in his message to benefactors.
Together with $4.1 million taken from reserves of previous years, activities amounting to $225.6 million were financed in 2022. Of this total amount of expenditure, 82.6 per cent, or $186.3 million, was dedicated to mission-related activities. Of this 82.6 per cent, project funding comprised 87.2 per cent and information, advocacy and evangelisation work consisted of 12.8 per cent.
The largest single recipient of ACN help in 2022 was Ukraine, where the foundation stepped up its assistance at a time when the Ukrainian Catholic Church is in a particularly difficult situation due to the ongoing conflict. A total of 353 projects were supported in the country, especially to help priests, religious, seminarians and other Church workers who have been working with refugees and others in desperate situations. With $15 million, Ukraine absorbed almost 10 per cent of ACN aid during this year.
Regionally, Africa received the most aid provided by ACN benefactors, with 31.5 per cent, followed by the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia and Oceania.
FULL STORY
221.5 million AUD in donations for suffering Christians around the world (Aid to the Church in Need)
