“Globalization, local weather change, and poverty deeply have an effect on the lives of African women and men every single day. However amidst speedy societal change, the Catholic Church stays fixed, proclaiming the timeless and hopeful message of the Gospel,” said Auxiliary Bishop Peter Smith of Portland, Oregon, chairman of the bishops’ Subcommittee on the Church in Africa.
“The Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa permits the Church to assist those that are in dire want of pastoral care and to encourage these whose religion and hope could also be flagging,” Smith stated.
Constructing upon the U.S. bishops’ 2001 assertion “A Name to Solidarity with Africa,” the fund’s initiative seeks to “present a critical, sustained response that can meet real wants, strengthen the capability of the Church in Africa, and supply for efficient and clear accountability.”
The Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa awarded over $2.1 million in 2023 to 75 initiatives put ahead by the bishops of Africa, together with:
— Grants serving to Kenyans and Ugandans recuperate spiritually from the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the disintegration of marriages and household violence.
— In Cameroon, cited by human rights teams for appalling jail situations, Catholic jail chaplains have discovered to doc abuses and advocate for reform.
