(ZENIT News / Rome, 11. 27. 2025).- Pope Leo XIV appointed Cardinal Kurt Koch International President of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), one of the Catholic Church’s largest and most effective charitable organizations for persecuted Christians.
Cardinal Koch, 75, succeeds Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, who led ACN for 14 years as its first President, following its elevation to the status of a Foundation of Pontifical Right.
Born in 1950 in the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, Cardinal Koch studied in Germany and Switzerland and was ordained a priest in 1982. In 1995, he was appointed Bishop of Basel, receiving episcopal consecration from Saint John Paul II, and in 2010, he was created a Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI. He has known and collaborated with ACN for many years, especially with the National Offices in Switzerland and Germany. Since 2010, he has been Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and President of the Commission for Religious Relations with Judaism. Ecumenical and interreligious relations are a fundamental element of ACN’s mission, especially in countries where Christians, and particularly Catholics, are a minority.
“We are pleased to have Cardinal Koch as President and to benefit from the guidance he will provide in our mission on behalf of persecuted and suffering Christians throughout the world. We thank Pope Leo for this appointment and for his interest in our work,» said Regina Lynch, International Executive President of ACN.
The papal appointment comes after the conclusion of Cardinal Mauro Piacenza’s term, who is 81. In his last year at the head of ACN, Cardinal Piacenza met with thousands of benefactors and collaborators during the Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome in May, reminding them that «the mission of Aid to the Church in Need is precisely this: to assist Christ in His work of salvation, to help Him be known and loved, to help Christ save humanity by supporting the life of the Church, especially where it faces the greatest difficulties.»
Regina Lynch added: «In Cardinal Piacenza, ACN has always had a sure and reliable point of reference. He has shown great interest in our work, accompanying us with advice and support. He has always been a strong promoter of ACN’s initiatives. We are very grateful to him for his service to persecuted and suffering Christians.»
