CHURCH FOUNDATIONS DONATE $5.3 MILLION FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 6, 2000 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon was a communique from the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum," under whose auspices are the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel and the "Populorum Progressio" Foundation, whose board members the Pope received on July 4.

The communique cited the Holy Father's words of appreciation on July 4 for the work done by the foundation bearing his name to combat the desertification of sub-Saharan Africa. It noted that this foundation has set aside $3.3 million this year to help nine African nations confront the lack of water: Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana and Cape Verde.

The Populorum Progressio Foundation, for its part, has been working in favor of the poorest populations of Latin America since 1993 and has set aside $2 million this year for 258 projects on the continent.

"The Holy Father," said the communique, "thanked the foundations for their work, underlining that it represents a Christian witness and offers all men and women the occasion to live the Jubilee.

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