70 years of communism have left their mark on Ukrainian society. Corruption, lack of prospects, economic crisis and war in the east of the country have led to younger, well-educated people, in particular, leaving the country. The Catholic Church is in the minority in Ukraine and has difficulty coping without assistance from abroad. ACN supports the local Church in pastoral care, faith initiatives, media relations and the training of priests.
Of the 44 million Ukrainians, just under 10% are Catholic. At the same time, the Catholic Church is represented here with two liturgical rite churches. Most Ukrainian Catholics belong to the Greek Catholic Church, which celebrates its services using the Byzantine rite. 1.5 million are Roman Catholics. A central concern of the Church is family support. The general lack of prospects often leads to the break-up of marriages and families. This causes an increase in alcohol and drug abuse and higher emigration rates for the younger generation.
Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of the children here grow up without a father. In addition, around 300 unborn children are aborted every day. These conditions urgently call for the strengthening of family pastoral care.
There is a lack of hope in society and a lack of love in families.
Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, Apostolic Nuncio in the Ukraine
This is why ACN also sponsored the Catholic Family Congress in 2019, which provided important momentum for family pastoral care. Furthermore, the Catholic media outlets Radio Voskressinnya, Zhyve.TV, EWTN and Radio Maria were again supported financially during the reporting year. The stations spread the word of God and offer spiritual orientation to many seekers.
The number of priestly and religious vocations in the Ukraine remains gratifyingly high. In 2019, ACN again sponsored training in numerous seminaries and monasteries. The latter are also supported by our foundation through subsidies for living expenses. First and foremost, it is the nuns who make an indispensable contribution by taking care of those seeking advice, the elderly, the sick, people with disabilities and neglected children.