The International charity, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has launched a #LetsBeOne campaign to raise awareness of and show solidarity with the suffering Church worldwide. In particular, they are highlighting those many young people, who for different reasons cannot travel to Krakow this year for World Youth Day (WYD) 2016.

WYD was the brainchild of the late Pope John Paul II, who imagined a powerful moment in which young people from around the world would come together to meet Christ, who is eternally young, and who could learn from Him how to be bearers of the Gospel to other young people.

You might remember, WYD was held in Sydney in 2008 and over 500,000 young people from around 200 countries gathered together for the first time the event had been held in Oceania. This week WYD will be held in Krakow, Poland, the theme is: Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy." (Mt 5:7)

For many young people, WYD is a powerful turning point in their lives. A moment of grace and clarity. Others will feel the touch of God's mercy and the embrace of the universal Church to show them they are not alone in their struggle for the cause of Christ.

Please sign this petition to show your solidarity with the young people in Krakow this week and for those all over the world who cannot be there, due to religious persecution, war, or poverty. Let them know that while we may be far apart, we can still be united in prayer #LetsBeOne

Thanks to the work of ACN, more than 3,500 young people from 30 countries in situations of war and/or poverty, this week are travelling to Krakow, to live the experience of faith which is the WYD.

ACN will also be in Krakow, to inform the young people about the suffering of young Christians around the world. It is hoped that this will enable a bridge of prayer and solidarity between the young people. To provide a greater insight into the day to day realities of the distressed Christians in different countries ACN will also screen a selection of its documentaries to highlight the problems.

For many young people, war and religious persecution creates a situation which results in poverty, orphanhood, hunger and disease. Many young people face hurdles and challenges well beyond their years. They encounter on a daily basis the fight not only for personal safety but for access to education, health, employment, all things that we can so easily take for granted.

Across the globe, there are more than 100 million people who are undergoing persecution because of their Christian faith. This week we remember them as we join the campaign #LetsBeOne.

Thanks for your support,

Ann-Marie and the entire CitizenGo team

P.S Here is a you-tube video of a group from Papua New Guinea who are not travelling to Krakow but are united in this campaign #LetsBeOne  

More information:

• Let’s be one website: http://acn-youth.org/en/home_eng/
• http://www.aidtochurch.org/
• http://www.krakow2016.com/en/