Pope thanks The Papal Foundation for financial assistance to students
By Fr. Pawel Rytel-Andrianik
Since its establishment, The Papal Foundation has acted as a vehicle of Easter joy by bringing Jesus’ closeness, compassion, and tenderness to people around the world.
Pope Francis expressed his appreciation for the US-based Catholic charitable organization’s work during an audience in the Vatican on Friday.
"Your support of various educational, charitable, and apostolic projects enhances the integral development of so many people, including the poor, refugees, immigrants, and nowadays the increasingly large numbers of those affected by war and violence," said the Pope.
The Holy Father emphasized The Papal Foundation's transformative impact on many individuals, particularly students who have received scholarships from the John Paul II Scholarship Fund set up by the foundation.
Pope Francis said “the scholarships provided to the laity, consecrated religious, seminarians and priests from developing nations enable them to pursue studies at Pontifical Universities in Rome and equip their recipients to bear witness to the Gospel more effectively both in their home countries and beyond."
So far, 1,700 people have studied at Pontifical Universities in Rome with the financial assistance of study grants from The Papal Foundation.
Addressing some 140 members of the organization present in Rome, the Pope said, "You continue to help the Successors of Peter build up many local Churches and care for large numbers of the less fortunate, thus fulfilling the mandates entrusted to the Apostle by our Lord. For all of your generosity, I offer my warmest thanks. Thank you very much!"
Pope Francis also stressed that "the programs of The Papal Foundation foster a spiritual and fraternal bond with people from many different cultures, languages, and regions who receive assistance."
"Your service is all the more necessary in our time, marked by individualism and indifference," he concluded.
Millions in financial assistance
On April 12, The Papal Foundation announced $14.7 million in grants, scholarships, and humanitarian aid to serve the Holy Father and the Catholic Church worldwide.
The Papal Foundation has plans to distribute $9,921,000 in 2024 to recipients identified by the Vatican.
These funds will support 118 projects in more than 60 countries, serving the poorest of the poor.
The Foundation will also provide $819,000 in scholarships, allowing more than 100 priests, women religious, and seminarians to study in Rome through the Saint John Paul II Scholarship Program.
The Papal Foundation provides crucial humanitarian aid through its Mission Fund, allocating $4,000,000 in emergency funds for times of crisis to feed the hungry, tend to the sick, and shelter the homeless.
Since its establishment, The Papal Foundation and its Stewards of Saint Peter have allocated more than $225 million in grants and scholarships worldwide to more than 2,400 projects selected by Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope St. John Paul II.
The Papal Foundation is the only charitable organization in the United States exclusively dedicated to fulfilling the requests of the Holy Father for the needs of the Catholic Church.
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