Colombia: Catholic foundation distributes more than 3,000 Bibles in areas affected by drug trafficking

The presence of priests and pastoral agents helps to spiritually strengthen those who suffer from drug trafficking in Colombia, but in order to carry out their work it is also important to have religious literature such as Bibles and catechisms.

This is where the help of organizations such as Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) comes in, which during 2023 has delivered 1,000 Children’s Bibles, 1,000 compendiums of the social doctrine of the Church for young people (DOCAT) and 2,000 catechisms for young people (YOUCAT), in the El Banco Diocese, in the department of Magdalena, according to information shared with ACI Prensa.

In this department, located on the northern coast, there are routes that are used “for the transit of drugs from the south of Bolívar or from Catatumbo, to the ports of the Gulf of Morrosquillo or to La Guajira,” according to what the minister indicated in 2023. of Defense, Iván Velásquez, in statements collected by National Radio.

So far in 2024, ACN has already contributed 2,000 Bibles for children in the Diocese of Riohacha, in the department of La Guajira; and “training material for pastoral agents, such as 150 DOCAT and 150 Bibles,” for the Diocese of Granada, in the department of Meta, where there is also the presence of groups linked to illegal drug trafficking.

In dialogue with ACI Prensa, ACN stated that the work they carry out in these areas of Colombia is inspired by the mission entrusted by Christ to his disciples: “Go throughout the world and announce the good news of salvation to all people.” .

“This Gospel passage is a source of inspiration for this specific cause. But, at its origin, it serves ACN’s mission and purpose of ‘making Christianity flourish throughout the world,’” he noted.

As well as “supporting the pastoral and evangelization work of the Church, which is the breath of the Foundation’s work. In that sense, supporting the work of catechesis and announcing the Gospel becomes a key action to fulfill that purpose,” he stated.

In its websiteACN reports that it first published the 1979 Children’s Bible “to commemorate the International Year of the Child, when it was presented to the Third General Episcopal Conference of Latin America” held in Puebla (Mexico).

“Since then, thanks to the generous donations of ACN benefactors, the Children’s Bible has been translated into 194 languages ​​and dialects,” he adds.

Likewise, he highlights that, “taking into account that in many cases the book will be read not only by the child who has received it, but also by his siblings and other relatives, the 51 million copies printed and distributed since the beginning of the project have been 45 years represents a much larger number of readers.”