(UCAN): Catholics in China joined a fund raising campaign to support charitable works for the poor and needy ahead of Easter Sunday. Promoted by Jinde (Faith) Charities, the campaign started on Palm Sunday, April 2, and spanned across Catholic dioceses in China, Fides reported
Starting six years ago, the initiative to collect donations ahead of Easter has become a major activity for the charity group which for the past 26 years, has been engaged in charitable works in mainland China with local and international donations.
The campaign has been “very well received” by bishops, priests, and laity, who see it as an opportunity “to unite the whole Church, and together bear witness to faith and charity,” Fides reported.
The collection of donations came days after Catholics in parishes and homes across China joined in special prayers for the speedy recovery of Pope Francis who was recently hospitalised for a few days for scheduled tests and treatment for bronchitis.
Jinde Charities reported that previous fund collections have been encouraging. In the first five years, about 4.7 million yuan [$5.36 million] in donations was retrieved. The funds have been utilized for healthcare, psychological support, reconstruction, and rehabilitation projects in areas affected by natural disasters in China and abroad.
Funded projects also include relief initiatives supported after floods and earthquakes in various parts of China, as well as those promoted after the Hualien earthquake in Taiwan, the volcano eruption in Guatemala, and the tsunami in Indonesia in 2018.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, donations from Catholics in China and abroad amounted to more than 30 million yuan [$33.9 million]. The money was used to provide masks, machinery, and medical supplies in most affected areas in China and other countries.
Jinde Charities, founded in 1997, is the first non-profit civil society service organisation of the Catholic Church in China. It was approved by the government in 1998.
The word “Jinde” also pays tribute to Bishop Hou Jinde of the Diocese of Xingtai Diocese, who died on 21 May 1994, and was known for helping the poor.
“We will continue promoting works of charity, and walking together to build a harmonious society,” because, “Jesus said: ‘whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’. “ Jinde Charities said.
