Covid-19: ACN sends prayers and funds to suffering communities

By Francesca Merlo

All around the world people are suffering the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. Resources are scarce and the poor are more in need than ever.

Since the beginning of April, communities worldwide have been responding to Aid to the Church in Need’s invitation, to join in prayer for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This week alone, 50 monasteries have responded to the call for prayer launched by the Pontifical Foundation and have also sent messages of solidarity to the areas most affected by the coronavirus.

On top of this huge demonstration of kinship and solidarity, ACN has established a fund that aims to raise 5million euros in order to help the priests and men and women religious who are faced with huge difficulties in some of the most desperate communities at this particular time. Donations can be made through the portal: https://www.aed-france.org/projets/covid-19/.

Benoit de Blanpré is the Director of ACN. He says that although this initiative might seem like a small drop of water in an ocean of both present and future needs, it is essential for ACN to do what it can to offer daily support to the lives of needy Christian communities. He explains that this initiative will support various projects in the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa.

The Executive President of ACN, Thomas Heine-Geldern, has said that "the demand for social and spiritual care is huge”, as the coronavirus continues to spread around the globe.

"We hope that this aid, which has been made possible by our benefactors, will help to lighten the burden of our brave religious who are on the front line”, he said.

Due to the pandemic, there are countless vulnerable communities in developing countries, who are already poor and with limited resources, and that often depend on the local Church for social services and health care.

Heine-Geldern concluded by saying that “the Church has a particularly vital spiritual and pastoral role in the daily life of the Christian communities of the poorest on the planet”.