Vatican City: Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has expressed deep gratitude and optimism following Pope Leo XIV’s appointment of Cardinal Kurt Koch as the new president of the pontifical foundation. Regina Lynch, ACN’s executive director, issued a warm message of thanks, noting that the organization is eager to work under the cardinal’s leadership.
“We look forward to Cardinal Koch’s guidance in strengthening our mission to support persecuted and suffering Christians around the world. We are grateful to Pope Leo XIV for this appointment and for his continued interest in our work,” Lynch said in a statement released on Nov. 27.
Cardinal Koch, 75, succeeds Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, 81, who has served as ACN’s president since 2011. Piacenza was the first to hold this role after the organization was elevated to the status of a pontifical foundation. ACN praised his long-standing leadership, describing him as a “steady and trusted mentor” whose unwavering support shaped many of its global initiatives.
Lynch also highlighted Piacenza’s enthusiastic backing of key ACN campaigns, including the international One Million Children Praying the Rosary initiative and various relief efforts for Christian communities in the Middle East. “We are deeply grateful for his dedicated service to persecuted Christians,” she added.
Cardinal Koch, who currently serves as prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and has led the Commission for Religious Relations with Judaism since 2010, has collaborated closely with ACN in the past. The organization emphasized that his extensive experience in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue will be invaluable to its mission especially in regions where Christians live as minorities and face ongoing challenges.
ACN said it is confident that under Cardinal Koch’s leadership, the foundation will continue to strengthen its global outreach and advocacy for Christian communities enduring hardship and persecution.