The international Catholic foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) supported various projects in the dioceses overseen by then-Bishop Prevost in Peru and more recently maintained cooperation with him in his role as President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
Regina Lynch, Executive President of ACN, expressed her gratitude for the election of the new Pope and warmly recalled the fruitful collaboration between the organization and Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV.
ACN supported several projects in the dioceses administered by Cardinal Prevost during his ministry in Peru, first as Apostolic Administrator and then as Bishop of Chiclayo, as well as Apostolic Administrator of Callao. When a new bishop was appointed for Callao, then-Bishop Prevost sent a kind message to ACN, thanking the organization for its cooperation in serving the population, “especially in the poorest areas of our dioceses,” and asking that “God bless the work carried out by Aid to the Church in Need.”
ACN’s collaboration with Bishop Prevost continued after Pope Francis transferred him to Rome, appointing him President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America within the Dicastery for Bishops.
ACN has maintained a strong working relationship with this commission for several years and recently worked closely with Cardinal Prevost’s office during the Latin America and Caribbean Meeting for Synodal Cooperation, held from March 10 to 14. The event was organized under the auspices of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, aiming to strengthen synodal cooperation among various institutions and organizations working on international collaboration in the region.
Upon receiving the news of Cardinal Prevost’s election as Pope, Regina Lynch expressed her “joy in knowing that the new Pontiff is a missionary, with over 20 years of field experience, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
“ACN is proud to have contributed to the bishop’s missionary efforts in Peru. We remain committed to continuing our work in service of Christian communities around the world, in unity with Pope Leo XIV, as we have done with his seven immediate predecessors,” said the Executive President.
Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 8, 2025, after a two-day conclave held following the death of Pope Francis. Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, the new Pope, ordained within the Order of Saint Augustine, dedicated most of his ministry to Peru, where he served as Apostolic Administrator and later Bishop between 2014 and 2023. Before returning to Peru as bishop, he spent a decade in Rome as head of his religious order and returned again in 2023 as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
Aid to the Church in Need has served poor and persecuted Christians worldwide since 1947. In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI elevated it to the status of Pontifical Foundation, thereby strengthening its connection to the Successor of Peter and the Vicar of Christ.
