A large-scale campaign supporting Catholic schools in Lebanon has been launched by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN.) The goal of the campaign is to offset the massive economic crisis suffocating Lebanon’s social institutions, specifically those affiliated with the Catholic Church.
According to Philipp Ozores, the general secretary of ACN, “Lebanon has suffered with the most serious devaluation of its currency in history. There is massive emigration, and basic social services are falling apart.” Following a trip to Lebanon, Ozores went on to say, “This represents the greatest threat to the Christian presence in recent decades.”
With Christians fleeing Syria and Iraq in massive numbers since 2017, Lebanon is currently the only country throughout the Middle East with a large Christian community. The ACN campaign is in response to Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Joseph Spiteri’s, calls addressing several Catholic aid organizations throughout the world.
The campaign aims to save over 90 schools from being closed immediately. This includes 61 schools in poor neighborhoods and rural areas of Beruit, along with 19 technical schools in crisis throughout Lebanon. The aid package approved by ACN includes almost $1.6 million.
“If we don’t act now, this terrible and incessant crisis will lead to thousands of children being left without education and will encourage even more Christian families to emigrate,” Ozores continued.
The ACN secretary-general added that a significant pillar of cultural and social cohesion would be lost in a country that has already been devastated. Lebanon’s Catholic schools are open to everyone, and almost 90 percent of students are Muslims in regions with a Muslim majority. “The Church in Lebanon has been promoting education for Muslims and Christians for generations. This has had a positive effect on the mindset of many Lebanese, functioning as a bulwark against the sort of religious fanaticism and extremism that we have seen in other parts of the Arab world,” Ozores said.
Until 2019 families paid for their student’s school fees, but the government financed the teaching staff. Parents have been unable to pay the fees due to the economic and financial crisis. Also, it has been some time since the Lebanese government has paid the teachers. As a result, Ozores says, “There is a big risk that they will be forced to shut down.”
During the plan’s first phase, the ACN will use 12 aid programs to support over 90 schools. Scholarships will make up part of the aid for students from the most vulnerable families, making up 25 to 70 percent of the school body. This phase will provide relief for families unable to pay school fees due to the crisis.
Teachers and administrative staff members will receive emergency help through another part of the phase. The goal is to lower the pressure to emigrate because of the lost value of salaries due to local currency devaluation.
Ozores explained, “Providing the staff of these Church institutions with a stable salary is one of the pillars of the ACN programs.”
In recent months, there have been over 2,000 primary and secondary teachers leaving Lebanon, looking for jobs in the Arab Gulf or Europe. The current headmaster’s average salary has fallen from $1000 to just $50 a month.
The aid provided by ACN will allow teachers to pay for basics that are currently unaffordable, including gasoline used to drive back and forth to school. Many of the schools are no longer operating five days a week. In multiple cases, the school’s staff members sleep on-site to lower costs.
In recent years, Lebanon’s aid from ACN has focused on supporting Christian refugees from the civil war in Syria. Since 2020, ACN has increased assistance for the restoration of Beirut’s Catholic buildings following the explosion in the port, in addition to emergency relief for vulnerable families. These fields will continue to be addressed by ACN, along with spiritual and pastoral support to encourage and give hope to Christians throughout Lebanon. This isn’t limited to the Lebanese youth but also members of religious orders, seminarians, and priests.
Jeffrey Stevens is a Senior Writer with ThinkCivics News and a freelance journalist with The Jerusalem Post, focusing on the Vatican’s involvement in world politics. In addition, he is a published author and the founder of Gospel Grammar. Jeffrey is currently pursuing a second degree in theology from Aidan University in Jacksonville, Florida.
