Never so close

The number of victims is still confused. What is beyond question, however, is that a disaster of unimaginable proportions has occurred here. The earthquake, measuring 7°on the Richter scale, that struck the island of Haiti four times on 12 January, left a trail of death and destruction in its wake, especially in the southern zone of the capital Port-au-Prince. Thousands of buildings have collapsed, including the presidential palace, the building housing UN headquarters, schools and hospitals. The cathedral has been severely damaged. From under the rubble of the archbishop’s palace the lifeless body of the Most Rev. Serge Miot, Archbishop of the capital Port-au-Prince, has been pulled out. News of the disaster has also deeply moved the Holy Father. During his Wednesday audience, he appealed for “concrete solidarity”. “My thoughts go – he said – to the population grievously struck, a few hours ago, by a devastating earthquake which has caused grave losses in human lives, a large number of homeless and missing persons, and enormous material damage”. “I invite everyone – continued the Holy Father – to join with me in my prayer to the Lord for the victims of this catastrophe and for those mourning their loss”. The Pope also assured his “spiritual closeness to those who have lost their homes and all those who are suffering in various ways due to this grave calamity”, imploring from God “consolation and relief in their suffering”. “I appeal to the generosity of everyone – this was the crux of his appeal – not to deprive these brothers and sisters, who are experiencing a time of necessity and grief, of our concrete solidarity and of the active support of the international community”. Benedict XVI lastly gave his assurance that the Catholic Church, for her part, “would not fail immediately to take action through her charitable institutions to alleviate the more immediate needs of the population”. Holy Land. Prayers for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti were also recited at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. At the end of their visit to Jerusalem, the bishops of the USA/EU Coordination in support of the Holy Land, celebrated a mass in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Bishop of Tucson and President of the US bishops, the Most Rev. Gerald Kicanas, who presided over the liturgy, remembered all the persons struck by the earthquake that has devastated the Caribbean island as follows: “God too suffers for the dead of Haiti. Let us pray for them in the place that saw Jesus suffer, die and then be reborn. Let us remember the victims who also include Joseph Serge Miot, Metropolitan Archbishop of Port-au-Prince”.Italy. The mobilization of the Churches in Europe in response to the catastrophe was immediate: invitations to prayer, masses for the victims, appeals for the faithful to donate with generosity. The Italian Church, for example, announced in a statement that “to respond to immediate emergency aid and the essential needs of the people struck by the earthquake, it has allocated two million euros from funds deriving from the ‘eight per thousand’ (the percentage of income tax devolved by taxpayers to the Church). The special Committee for charitable interventions in favour of the third world will be responsible for disbursing the sums allocated, in response to the requests it receives”. In its statement the executive of the Italian Bishops’ Conference also invites church communities to pray for all those struck by the tragic event and to support initiatives of solidarity promoted by Italian Caritas with the aim of alleviating the sufferings of this population”. France. Tomorrow (16 January), at 6.30 pm, the city of Paris will gather in the cathedral of Notre-Dame where the city’s archbishop, Cardinal André Vingt-Trois will officiate a mass “in communion – says a communiqué put out by the archdiocese – with the Church in Haiti, for the victims of the earthquake, and for all those injured by or suffering on account of this catastrophe”. Cardinal Vingt-Trois, on behalf of the French Bishops’ Conference, has sent a message to the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Haiti to express “the sadness” and the condolences of France. “The many human and spiritual links that historically unite our two countries must be the occasion to materially express our deep solidarity with all those who are today victims of the earthquake”. The Federation of the Protestant Churches of France immediately opened a bank fund of solidarity for the people of Haiti. Ireland. An appeal to the nation to be generous in supporting at this time of mourning and suffering the Haitian population was made by Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. “I appeal – he said – to the generosity of all people, so that these brothers and sisters of ours who are experiencing a moment of hardship and suffering may not feel the lack of our solidarity and the effective support of the international community. The Catholic Church will not fail to take steps immediately, through her charitable institutions, to satisfy the more immediate needs of the population”. In his message the Cardinal also recalled that “Trocaire”, the humanitarian agency linked to local and international Caritas, has opened a subscription in aid of the victims.Albania and Belgium. The Albanian Bishops Conference too expresses, in a release, “its deep pain for the huge tragedy that affected the population of Haiti”. The release also points out that, while such a nation as Albania “was experiencing an emergency as a result of floods in the north of the country, a serious human tragedy happened in another part of the planet”. “We are also upset – the release adds – about the death of mgr. Joseph Serge Miotv, archbishop of Port-au-Prince, along with hundreds of priests and seminarians who have been buried under the rubble. The damage is great in terms of men and facilities. Let’s pray the Lord that He may give hope to this population”. Next Sunday, the Albanian churches will be praying for all the dead and for the survivors who need relief and hope”. The Belgian churches too express their solidarity. “Haiti – writes the bishop of Liege, mgr. Aloys Jousten -, the poorest country in the Americas, has experienced one of the darkest days of its history”. “The Belgian church is deeply moved by the major sufferings caused by this catastrophe”. Because of this, the bishops ask the congregation to give “generous donations and prayers for the affected people” and to raise funds during next Sunday Mass. The bank details of the international Caritas agency have also been given.