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EGYPT: Latest aid payments offer hope to suffering Christians
By John Pontifex
Mass takes place in a village outside Sohag, Upper Egypt, in a church supported by Aid to the Church in Need
Suffering Christians in Egypt are the main beneficiaries of the latest round of aid payments made by Aid to the Church in Need.
The charity's UK office announced five projects for Egypt in a package of programmes for Catholic communities ranging from India to Uganda.
In Egypt, Aid to the Church in Need provided aid payments for Sisters working in Assiut diocese, where religious communities provide Christian education and help run medical dispensaries in some of the poorest parts of Upper Egypt, south of Cairo.
Again in Upper Egypt, the charity sponsored the training of 15 seminarians from Minya diocese, which continues to attract the most vocations to the Catholic priesthood. Training takes place at Saint Leo the Great Seminary, in the Cairo suburb of Maadi.
The latest aid payments will also pay for repairs to a church in the Egyptian capital.
Other grants included helping to construct a health centre and a multi-purpose parish hall, both in Sohag diocese, Upper Egypt.
The project pay-outs come after Aid to the Church in Need's UK operation launched an appeal for Christians in Egypt.
Soon after the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, staff from the charity visited dioceses across the country for project-assessment and fact-finding.
The trip took place just before the 7th May 2011 attack on three churches in the Imbaba district of Cairo, where 15 people were killed and 230 were injured.
Watch a BBC News at Ten report on Egypt six months after the Arab Spring (Report begins at c.18 mins)
Aid to the Church in Need UK director Neville Kyrke-Smith underlined the importance of continuing to help the Church in the Middle East, after his recent visits to the region.
He particularly stressed the fear and anxiety of Christians in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and the Holy Land.
Commenting on the aid for Egypt, Mr Kyrke-Smith said: "Political and social upheavals have whipped up ethnic and religious confrontations.
"The constant plea I heard echoed the words of the Holy Father – 'Please help Christians to remain in their ancient homelands' – for they are a crucial part of society, encouraging dialogue and hope for the future."
Other aid payments this month included providing 25 bicycles for catechists based at Jinja Cathedral, Uganda, and training for people giving marriage preparation and HIV prevention courses in Mansa diocese, Zambia.
In India, the charity funded Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to receive counselling training and in Senegal a Carmelite priest received a scholarship for further education and formation.