"Catholics in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, are united."Pope calls for fasting and prayer for UkrainePope makes strong appeal for peace in Ukraine, prayer and fastingThe Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has launched the campaign "Aid to the Church in Need".Emergency Ukraine: War begins, the Church remains". With it they want to send one million euros of emergency aid in support of the Church in Ukraine, in the face of the advancing war and increasing needs in the country.
The Catholic Church in Ukraine is offering assistance to the displaced and wants to continue its mission with those who suffer the most. A few days ago, at a meeting organized by ACN, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church had indicated that they would not abandon the population despite the attacks. He also stressed the need for the believers' prayers to support those suffering from the conflict.
ACN Help
With the outbreak of war, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is strengthening its support for the 4,879 priests and religious and 1,350 nuns in Ukraine so that they can continue their pastoral and social programs.
The Pontifical Foundation will also provide emergency assistance to the four Greek Catholic exarchates and two Latin Catholic dioceses in eastern Ukraine, which include Kharkov, Zaporizhya, Donetsk, Lugansk, Odessa and Crimea.
Ukraine was the second most aided country by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in 2020, with 4.8 million euros. The aid is mainly for the training of clergy and the reconstruction of churches, monasteries, seminaries and parish houses, many of which were confiscated or destroyed during Soviet control.
At this time, the aid will focus on ensuring "the presence of priests, religious men and women with their people, in parishes, with refugees, in orphanages and homes for single mothers and the elderly," as highlighted by the director of Aid to the Church in Need in Spain. Javier Menéndez Ros also recalled that "this conflict is also a psychological war. People need comfort, strength and support. We also want to assure them of our prayers for peace in Ukraine".
