A delegation of the International Pontifical Foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will be meeting with the Holy Father Pope Francis on Thursday, August 15th 2019 in a gesture to pray for peace in solidarity with the Syrian people, console families who mourn the loss of their dearest ones and commemorate the victims of war.

During the audience, the Holy Father will bless 6,000 Rosaries for the families of the war victims in Syria, expressing his support and personal engagement for the upcoming celebration which Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will be organizing together with the local Christian leaders in Syria on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15th) under the theme: “Console my people” (cf. Is 40:1).

This celebration is necessitated by the profound need for Christians, and indeed for the whole of Syrian society, for consolation as well as for forgiveness, reconciliation and purification of memory at both personal and communal levels.

With the “Console my people” celebration, ACN hopes to give the Syrian people, especially those families whose relatives were killed or kidnapped during the war, spiritual consolation and moral support.

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is committed to helping the suffering Christians in Syria and has, since 2011, through the generosity of benefactors, supported about 850 projects aimed at providing emergency relief, livelihood support and pastoral care for the faithful there.

We call on all to support the Syrian people with their prayers at this time.