Celebrate Christmas ‘with Ukraine in your hearts,’ pope says, urging aid
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Celebrating Christmas is important and beautiful, Pope Francis said, but he asked people to spend less on their celebrations this year and donate the savings to help the people of Ukraine.
As he has done at his general audiences since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the pope asked pilgrims and visitors Dec. 14 to express their “closeness to the martyred Ukrainian people, persevering in fervent prayer for these brothers and sisters of ours who are suffering so much.”
“Brothers and sisters, I tell you, they are suffering so very, very much in Ukraine,” the pope said.
“I want to draw your attention to Christmas, which is coming, and to the festivities,” he said. “It’s beautiful to celebrate Christmas and have parties, but let’s reduce the level of Christmas spending a bit; let’s have a simpler Christmas with more modest gifts.”
And, the pope said, “let’s send what we save to the people of Ukraine, who are suffering so much.”
People in the country are hungry and cold, he said.
“And many die because there are no doctors and nurses available,” the pope said.
Celebrate Christmas “at peace with the Lord,” he said, and “with Ukraine in your hearts.”
Choosing how to help
The FBI cautions that charity scams can take the form of emails, social media posts, cold calls and crowdfunding requests. Fraudsters even pretend to be with the government.
First, beware of groups with copycat names or names similar to those of reputable, well-known organizations.
Never click on links or open attachments from cold-call emails asking for money. Legitimate charities will never ask for personal information such as social security and bank account numbers or passwords. They will also not ask for cash or money cards.
When looking for a charity to donate to, check out CharityNavigator, CharityWatch, and GuideStar to search out legitimate charities and their stats, according to AARP.
Better Business Bureau has tips on choosing a charity:
1. Can the charity get to the impacted area? Not all relief organizations will be positioned to provide relief quickly, so check that a charity already has a presence in Ukraine.
2. Should you send clothing and food? Local drives to collect clothing and food to send overseas may not be practical, since the logistics of delivering and dispersing the goods will be challenging.
3. Does the charity meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability? These include such criteria as what percentage of gifts get to those in need.
4. Is the charity experienced in emergency relief? Established disaster-relief charities are the best bet to help deliver aid promptly. New entrants may have difficulty, despite the best of intentions.
5. Considering a crowdfunding appeal? The safest route is to give to someone you know and trust. Keep in mind that some crowdfunding sites do minimal vetting. Also, review the platform’s policies on fees and the distribution of donations.
6. Does a charity make exaggerated claims, such as “100 percent will be spent on relief”? Since all charities have fundraising and administrative expenses, any organization claiming otherwise is potentially misleading people.
Featured image: Vlada-Maria Hohlochova, 11, a refugee from Ukraine, holds her drawing of a Christmas angel guarding a manger and a letter of thanks she and her 8-year-old sister, Khrystyna, wrote to Chicago-based Catholic Extension for the agency’s support of Ukrainians affected by war. The sisters are featured in the Winter 2022 issue of Extension magazine. (CNS photo/courtesy Catholic Extension)
