The Greek Bishops’ Conference has launched an emergency fund-raising appeal to help relieve the victims of the disastrous forest fires that have laid waste the country in recent weeks, causing death and destruction on an unprecedented scale. With the death on 5 September of a soldier badly burned in the rescue attempt, the number of victims of the fires has now risen to 66. “An enormous tragedy has been unleashed in Greece in recent weeks as a result of fires in over half the national territory”, says the statement of the Greek bishops. “These were the largest fires at the global level over the last 150 years. We mourn scores of victims, hundreds of villages totally burnt down, thousands of houses reduced to ashes, properties destroyed, both in terms of livestock and crops… Over half of the woodland of Greece has been carbonized. Aid is being requested from all sides. Our little Catholic Church cannot remain insensible to the cries of our brothers. We too wish to place the little we have at our disposal to help these people. We have already made available all the sleeping accommodation at our disposal”. “In the next few Sundays – write the bishops – all the offerings made at Mass, throughout Greece, will be devolved to those left homeless by the fires. But so great are the needs that we feel a sense of inadequacy in trying to relieve the cries for help of our brothers”. The Greek bishops therefore make an appeal “to all men of good will, to Catholic organizations, to Caritas international and to all national Caritas agencies to come to the relief of the victims of the disaster. Since words of sympathy for our suffering fellowmen are not enough, we ask you to send to Caritas of Greece whatever sum on money you can afford to donate it to those in need as an offering and sign of charity of the Catholic Church for our suffering fellowmen”. The fund-raising campaign will begin on 8-9 September with a collection in all Greek parishes.
