In the last decade, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has achieved a stronger position among Catholics around the world, consolidating its position as one of the most active organizations in supporting Christian communities affected by conflict. Although its presence is immediate in emergency contexts, its mission goes beyond material assistance: it focuses mainly on pastoral and spiritual accompaniment.
Pastoral assistance
An emblematic example of this work is the publication of the Bible adapted for children, a project that has reached a global dimension. This publication has been translated into more than 190 languages and has distributed more than 51 million copies, making a decisive contribution to the evangelization and Christian formation of new generations on all five continents.
ACN's work reflects a firm commitment to strengthening faith and hope in the world's neediest Christian communities. 28.2% of resources went to the formation of priests, religious and catechists, while Mass stipends accounted for 23.9%. In total, 1,619,185 euros in stipends were given, representing an increase of 11.8% over 2023.
The data
The foundation of the Holy See Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) presented this morning its Report of Activities and Accounts 2024. The data were presented by José María Gallardo, director of ACN Spain, and Carmen Conde, head of Finance and Legacies of ACN Spain.
At the beginning of the event, the following people were remembered 200 Christians killed last Saturday in Nigeria.
ACN funds more than 5,300 projects in 137 countries thanks to the support of nearly 360,000 benefactors in 23 countries.
During 2024, the foundation funded 5,335 projects in 1,224 dioceses. At the international level, the total budget allocated by ACN amounted to 139.3 million euros between donations and bequests.
Ukraine, Lebanon and India, the most supported countries
8.5 million, making it for the third consecutive year the country that has benefited the most from ACN since the beginning of the war. It was followed by Lebanon (7.5 million) and India (6.8 million).
In Africa, which accounted for 30.2% of the funds, Burkina Faso stood out with 2.3 million euros, placing it for the first time among the top ten countries supported by the foundation.
Asia, Oceania and the Middle East also receive substantial support, receiving 18.7% of the funds, with a focus on countries such as India, Tanzania and Pakistan.
The Middle East received 17.5%, making it the third most benefited region.
Spain: donor loyalty
In Spain, 24,987 benefactors have supported ACN's work, of which 60.5% have been collaborating for more than five years. The campaign in favor of the Church in Ukraine and Burkina Faso raised 14.5 million euros, of which more than 2.6 million came from inheritances and bequests.
José María Gallardo, director of ACN in SpainHe thanked all the "people who make it possible for the hope of our suffering brothers and sisters not to be extinguished" for their support.
