Aid to the Church in Need welcomes appointment of Cardinal Koch as its new president The executive director of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Regina Lynch, thanked Pope Leo XIV for appointing Cardinal Kurt Koch as the new president of the pontifical foundation. \u201cWe very much look forward to having Cardinal Koch as our president and for the guidance he can bring to our mission to persecuted and suffering Christians all over the world. We are grateful to Pope Leo XIV for this appointment and for his interest in our work,\u201d Lynch said. Koch is 75 years old and replaces Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, who is 81 years old and has led the institution since 2011. Piacenza was the first president of ACN since the organization received the title of pontifical foundation. In a Nov. 27 statement published on the ACN website, Lynch highlighted the work carried out by Piacenza, in whom the international institution \u201chas always had a steady and trusted mentor and president.\u201d Furthermore, Piacenza \u201cwas always a great supporter of ACN initiatives, such as the One Million Children Praying the Rosary and the Middle East campaigns, and we are very grateful for his service to suffering and persecuted Christians.\u201d Koch is the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and has headed the Commission for Religious Relations with Judaism since 2010. He has also closely collaborated with the Catholic charity over the years, ACN reported. The organization highlighted its new president\u2019s experience in ecumenical and interreligious relations, as these are an essential part of the pontifical foundation\u2019s mission, \u201cespecially in countries where Christians, or Catholics, are a minority.\u201d This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Eduardo Berdejo Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article Blessed Carlo Acutis: the 10 things you should know about this Millennial For the First Time in Synod’s History, Over 50 Women to Participate as Voters Where Vocations are Born Pope Francis on homosexuals & the new prefect of the Vatican Dicastery of Bishops Pope Francis\u2019 Visit to Venice Showcases Art as Means of Encounter, Fraternity The Sacramentality of the World<\/p>\n