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UNITED KINGDOM: Prayer and Action to celebrate Pope's visit
By John Pontifex
Pope Benedict XVI. Photo: copyright Stefano Spaziani
Aid to the Church in Need is calling for prayer and action to mark the Pope’s visit to the country.
The charity is inviting people to offer a Mass for the Pope through Aid to the Church in Need.
Everyone who takes part in the initiative will have their names included in Aid to the Church in Need’s Papal visit commemorative book, which will be presented to the Pontiff or his official UK representative during his trip in September.
The Mass stipends will go to help priests supported by Aid to the Church in Need in countries experiencing persecution and other forms of suffering.
The charity will also include in the commemorative book the names of people who support the Papal initiative by making donations to help Aid to the Church in Need’s work in the Middle East.
Aid to the Church in Need’s emphasis on support for the Middle East comes in direct response to a request from Benedict XVI who warned that as a result of oppression, poverty and emigration, the Church there “is threatened in its very existence”.
Aid to the Church in Need UK Director Neville Kyrke-Smith said: “At this moment, more than ever, our Holy Father and all priests need our prayers and support.
“We must invoke the Holy Spirit and ask the prayers of our Blessed Mother to strengthen their faith and renew the priesthood.”
Officially recognised by the Catholic Church as a Universal Public Association of the Faithful, Aid to the Church in Need is directly under the Holy See and works in accordance with papal priorities.
Aid to the Church in Need's projects in the Middle East include the Solidarity Village which provides subsidised homes for Christians in Jerusalem, emergency support for Christians in Iraq who have either fled abroad or who have been displaced to other parts of the country.
Also in the region, the charity supports seminarians and Sisters as well as construction projects such as churches, parish halls and presbyteries.
Again in response to priorities set by Benedict XVI, Aid to the Church in Need helps with media initiatives including Christian radio and television stations broadcast across the Middle East.
The Aid to the Church in Need papal visit commemorative book bearing the names of supporters will be hand-made by a specialist craftsman from a company which regularly receives high-profile commissions.
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