Persecuted Church: we want to make the invisible visible, explains the director of ACN Spain

The Spanish section of the Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) presented its annual report this Thursday, which reflects the work carried out in 2023. Its director, José María Gallardo, explains to ACI Prensa that Its mission is “to make visible what is sometimes invisible and to make known a reality that is sometimes forgotten because it does not appear in the usual media.”

This task is addressed “firstly, to Catholics, and, secondly, to every Spaniard of good faith who wants to know what the reality of the persecuted Church is. Our job is to help those who help,” adds Gallardo.

In his opinion, it is especially relevant to address the new generations, not only the so-called generation Z or the millenials“but also to those who are now between 30 and 45 years old.”

ACN Spain, second country that contributes the most in the world

As detailed in the Report 2023, ACN Spain raised 18.4 million euros, which represents 12.8% of the worldwide total of the pontifical foundation and places Spain in second place after France among the 23 local offices spread around the world, followed by Germany, the United Kingdom, United States, Switzerland and Italy.

Of the total income, 85.7% comes from donations, 14.2% from inheritances and legacies and 0.1% from other sources of income. These funds have been allocated practically entirely to the foundation’s own purposes (90.7%), that is, to finance projects and carry out information, awareness and evangelization work. The remaining 9.3% has been allocated to promoting and seeking funds and supporting the administrative structure.

Aid to the Church in Need in Spain had more than 27,000 donors in 2023, of which more than 5,000 were new, the majority of those mobilized by the campaign to help Christians after the earthquake that affected Syria at the beginning of the year and which amounted to nearly 3.5 million euros.

Especially appreciated by Gallardo are the income achieved through the stipends for offering Masses (1.4 million euros). “Something like Mass stipends, which seems like a great unknown to many people, helps support the Church in countries under persecution or in countries that are in crisis,” she details.

Behind these figures are the more than 200 volunteers, the presence in 39 Spanish dioceses, 27 physical delegations spread throughout the country and the essential help of 11 ecclesiastical assistants, designated by the bishops for the spiritual care of this work: “We have the lucky that our bishops believe and support the Mission to Aid the Church in Need,” Gallardo emphasizes. To this we must add the work of more than 10,000 digital benefactors.

“When you tell the mission that our foundation has, the level of support we give to persecuted Christians, the scope of knowledge that we want to convey to society about what persecution and religious freedom are, people clearly say: Hey, it’s “This organization is very worthwhile,” Gallardo explains to ACI Prensa.

Ukraine, at the heart of ACN

The list of the 10 countries to which Aid to the Church in Need has allocated the most aid in 2023 is headed by Ukraine, as in 2022. As explained at the event of the Report’s presentation by Raquel Martín, head of Communication at ACN Spain, “Ukraine has been at the heart of ACN” for many years.

Not in vain, the pontifical foundation was created to help Catholics who were left under persecution in countries under communist influence after the so-called Iron Curtain.

In this sense, Gallardo has highlighted that since 1991 Ukraine has been one of the most benefited countries. At this time, aid efforts are focused on caring for displaced people in the west of the country and, only when peace is achieved, will it be possible to think about rebuilding churches and communities in the east of the country.

After Ukraine, the countries that have received the most aid are Syria, Lebanon, India, Tanzania, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Iraq and Nigeria.