Aide à l’Église en Détresse (AED) a annoncé avoir accordé un deuxième programme d’aide d’urgence pour secourir les chrétiens qui ont perdu leurs moyens de subsistance à cause de la guerre à Gaza.
L’Aide à l’Église en Détresse apportera son soutien au Patriarcat latin de Jérusalem avec une enveloppe de 700 000 dollars entre janvier et avril 2024. Le montant total du soutien accordé par l’œuvre pontificale de charité depuis le début des combats en Israël en octobre dernier s’élèvera ainsi à près de 980 000 dollars. Sur le montant total, 420 000 dollars sont prévus pour soutenir environ un millier de chrétiens restés à Gaza. Le reste est destiné aux familles chrétiennes en Cisjordanie et à Jérusalem-Est, qui ont été touchées par la guerre à Gaza.
La majorité des membres de la communauté chrétienne en Terre sainte travaille dans le secteur du tourisme. Ils ont donc perdu toutes sources de revenus depuis que la plupart des pèlerinages en Israël ont été annulés. Le programme d’aide récemment mis en place comprend des médicaments, des bons alimentaires et des aides pour les frais de scolarité et d’études ainsi que pour les frais de logement.
L’AED soutiendra également des programmes de formation dont l’objectif est de donner de nouvelles compétences à de jeunes chrétiens, afin d’accroître leurs opportunités d’emploi, et de fournir des conseils pour que ces jeunes gens puissent créer leur propre entreprise.
Marco Mencaglia, directeur des projets de l’AED, explique : « Depuis le début de cette guerre, nous avons dit à nos partenaires en Terre sainte que nous ne les abandonnerions pas, ni en termes d’aide matérielle ni en termes d’aide spirituelle, et nous avons l’intention de tenir cette promesse. »
Il a ajouté que, malgré le fait que les combats se déroulent à Gaza, « les effets de la guerre se font sentir dans toute la région, et les chrétiens, minoritaire, mais qui constituent toujours une communauté importante avec environ 45 000 fidèles en Cisjordanie et 10 000 à — Jérusalem-Est — sont touchés de manière très directe. »
En outre, M. Mencaglia a indiqué que la communauté chrétienne en Terre sainte se voit confrontée « pour la troisième fois au moins » en l’espace de deux décennies à de très graves difficultés économiques. Il a souligné que les chrétiens ont beaucoup souffert des affrontements intermittents entre Israël et le Hezbollah, et « plus récemment, pendant la pandémie de Covid, et maintenant, c’est à cause de la guerre à Gaza. De plus, rien n’indique que la guerre touche à sa fin et que les touristes commenceront à revenir en Terre sainte. »
Le directeur des projets a également expliqué la raison pour laquelle l’AED soutient des initiatives de formation en faveur des jeunes gens : « Plutôt que de leur donner de l’argent, nous les aidons à acquérir des compétences et à avoir les moyens de gagner leur vie. C’est beaucoup mieux à long terme, car c’est ce qui aide les communautés à rester ancrées dans leurs foyers et les dissuade d’émigrer. »
Le cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, patriarche latin de Jérusalem, a déclaré à l’AED : « Permettez-moi de saisir cette occasion pour exprimer ma gratitude envers l’Aide à l’Église en Détresse, pour votre collaboration permanente avec le Patriarcat latin de Jérusalem et votre soutien à notre communauté locale en Terre sainte. »
The many holiday camps hosted in various regions afflicted by war and conflict offer young people temporary relief from their suffering as well as the opportunity to engage in carefree activities while growing in faith. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)’s project partners report that attending one of these camps is the most eagerly anticipated event of the year for many children and youth.
This year, more than 1,600 summer camps for young people are taking place in 18 countries—from Egypt and Jordan to Iraq, Georgia, and Kazakhstan—thanks to funding by ACN of almost $2.8 million. In many war and conflict-torn regions as well, including the Holy Land, Lebanon, Syria, Ukraine, Armenia, Mozambique, and Venezuela, youth are being welcomed into a peaceful and healthy environment to share their lives with peers and to deepen their faith.S
Summer camps in times of war
Some of the camps have a long history of benefiting from the support of ACN. Among these are those taking place in the Holy Land again this year, even as the armed conflict there continues. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, has thanked the charity for its “ongoing collaboration” and insists that the summer camps of the St. James Vicariate for Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel would not exist without the funding provided by ACN. Outlining the importance of the camps, he says, “the majority of the participants are children of migrants. This group of people is particularly affected by the ongoing war.”
Father Piotr Zelazko, patriarchal vicar for the Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel, explains that, for the migrants’ children, these camps are not just another summer activity, “but also a beacon of hope, a chance to experience a sense of belonging and community that is often absent in their tumultuous world. Our camps provide a safe haven where they can reinforce their identities, build friendships, and engage in educational activities that are otherwise inaccessible to them. It is here that they can also connect with their faith and cultural heritage.”
This summer’s camps in the West Bank, for around 500 children and young adults ranging from 9 to 35 years old, have been inspired by Pope Francis’s call for this year to be dedicated to prayer.
Many of the summer holiday camps offering spiritual and psychological support to orphaned children, those with disabilities, internally displaced children, and the offspring of war victims are being hosted in Ukraine. Auxiliary Bishop Maksym Ryabukha, of the Greek Catholic Exarchate of Donetsk, which is overseeing summer rehabilitation camps for the children of internally displaced families, insisted during a visit to ACN’s international head office that the holiday camps give young people the opportunity “to enjoy a normal life,” a valuable opportunity not only to gather strength, but also to “recognize that life cannot be put on hold. Every one of us is called upon to grow day by day, to take responsibility, and to become builders of the world and of peace.”
Keeping the youth rooted in their homeland
In recent years, many of the summer camps organized by the church in Lebanon have had to be cancelled because of the severe economic crisis there. In view of the financial situation, many families find it difficult to prioritize their children’s participation in pastoral activities. This context makes the support provided by the charity all the more important. This year, ACN is enabling around 60,000 young people to attend summer camps in the country. In addition, day camps for Lebanese orphans and young refugees from Syria and Iraq are being facilitated in the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Beirut, which is one of the smaller dioceses—with probably the highest proportion of refugees—in Lebanon.
The experience of a summer camp can have a huge influence on the lives of children and young people and help them put down stronger roots in their home country. This factor is of major significance for both Lebanon and neighbouring Syria, where the exodus of people shows no sign of abating and is jeopardizing the very existence of Christianity in the countries. This is where the largest number of summer camps are taking place this year and the 44 events will be attended by more than 75,000 young people. A scout group leader in the Syrian city of Jaramana comments that “by way of these summer camps, we are seeking to give our children the hope of overcoming life’s difficulties, which is a worthwhile endeavour. Unless we change the mentality of this generation, it will be one that lacks both ideals and dreams. In consequence, they will be destined to turn their backs on the country.”
Making the world a better place through love
In Armenia, which UNICEF estimates has taken in more than 100,000 refugees, including 30,000 children, since Azerbaijan’s occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in September 2023, the Our Lady of Armenia summer camp, overseen by the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Among the more than 800 beneficiaries this year are orphans and children of the families forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, the families of seriously wounded and deceased soldiers, minors from the villages bordering Azerbaijan, as well as children and adults with disabilities. “We are hoping to relieve the visitors’ traumas, brighten up their days in a safe and warm environment, and expand their knowledge and skills,” explains Arousiag Sajonian, superior general of the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.
Every year, around 200 children receive the sacraments of initiation while attending these holiday camps. Arousiag Sajonian is very grateful for the many years of support given by ACN: “The camp is the most eagerly awaited event of the year for our children. Thanks to the help provided, every summer, hundreds of disadvantaged children can disconnect from their habitual routine and improve their physical, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing in the beautiful surroundings of Tsaghkadzor. We firmly believe that we can make the world a better place to live through education and by fostering solidarity, empathy, unconditional love, and passion.”
