Our Mission
As a Pontifical Catholic charity we support the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in need – by way of information, prayer and action.
Our Vision
A world in which Christianity is able to thrive.
Our Guidelines
- We are loyal to the Holy Father. As a Pontifical Charity, we participate in the universal mission of the Church.
- We serve the cause of evangelization. We respond courageously to the challenges of the time following the teachings of the Church.
- We are committed to the persecuted Church. By sharing testimonies of faith, we build a bridge of charity between our benefactors and beneficiaries.
- We are custodians of our benefactors’ generosity. We run modern, transparent and effective fundraising and administration.
Our Values
1. Faith and Christian love
All our activities have their foundation in Christian faith and love which includes our fidelity to the Holy Father and the adherence to both the teachings and institutions of the Catholic Church.
2. Prayer
Regular prayer, both personal and collective, animates our daily work and strengthens our missionary spirit, moving us to offer assistance to those who are suffering because of their loyalty to Christ and His Church – on whose prayers we rely as well.
3. Pastoral commitment
We strive to proclaim the Gospel, be it “welcome or unwelcome” (2 Timothy 4:2), in courageous response to the challenges of our times. We do so when engaging with our benefactors, and by financing pastoral projects with their contributions.
4. Unity
Meant to be a Bridge of Love at its origins, ACN serves in the spirit of unity and reconciliation, creating communion with and between both our benefactors and their beneficiaries (our project partners) through prayer, providing information and relaying gratitude.
5. Service
We fulfill our mission through mercy and humble service, listening carefully to the needs of our partners. We aspire to be a personal source of comfort and strength to our beneficiaries and benefactors.
6. Openness
Through our support of the universal Church we promote a respectful dialogue with many cultures around the world. We live this openness ourselves in our manifold encounters both within and outside the Catholic Church.
7. Accountability
The funds we receive are handled with the highest care and efficiency, measuring the impact on both our funding activities and our internal functions. Our work is transparent always showing the sources, uses and accomplishments of the funds entrusted to us.
8. Trust
Our unshakeable trust in Divine Providence guides us into the future and enables us to place trust in others. And in turn, to be worthy of trust.
The consecration of ACN to Our Lady of Fatima has always provided our organization with a deep sense of hope and confidence.
Safeguarding of minors and vulnerable persons from abuse:
1. ACN (Aid to the Church in Need) is aware of the terrible suffering caused by the diverse forms of abuse, condemns them without reservation and has deep compassion with its victims.
2. ACN is committed to helping the Catholic Church become a frontrunner in the protection of minors and others within and outside its care against sexual and any other form of abuse. First of all, for the sake of the victims themselves; but also for the sake of the Church, because only if the Church is effective in protecting those in need it will remain the credible conveyor of the Gospel and the Sacraments, and, thus, the way for the sanctification of humanity.
3. In order to do so, ACN:
i. has upgraded its internal safeguarding procedures, including an improved formation on detecting and preventing breaches of safeguarding for all its staff, especially those who visit the projects; and the possibility to reclaim or freeze funds from project partners that have failed to comply with safeguarding standards;
ii. has started a close collaboration with the Catholic Center for Child Protection (CCP) in Rome in order to continually improve its support to the worldwide Catholic Church in raising its safeguarding standards;
iii. has made safeguarding a specific condition in its funding agreement with project partners in all its projects and included the improvement of safeguarding as an ongoing topic of conversation with all its project partners;
iv. dedicates every year a significant amount to the formation in safeguarding of leaders and staff involved in formation in poor dioceses in the worldwide Church specifically for the current and the coming years;
December 2019