Vatican City (AsiaNews) -- May the spirit of the Christmas season bring the faithful and "all men of good will" to contribute generously to bringing relief to the people of Asia devastated by disaster. With this new appeal, the Pope calls for everyone to help the victims of last Sunday's earthquake and tsunami.
In his address at the end of today's general audience, John Paul II referred to "the news that continues to arrive from Asia [which] increasingly shows the enormity of the disaster that has hit in particular India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The international community and many humanitarian organizations have quickly mobilised relief operations. Many of the Church's charity organizations are doing the same.
"In the spirit of the Christmas season," the Pope went on to say, "I invite the faithful and all men of good will to contribute generously to these great efforts of solidarity in favour of people who have already been so hard hit and who now face the threat of epidemics. I stand united with them in sympathy and prayer, especially with the wounded and the homeless, while I entrust to divine mercy the countless people who have perished and for whom we pray."
Yesterday, "Cor Unum", the Pontifical Council that acts as the Pope's charity arm throughout the world, announced that it has mobilized aid which has already reached Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Somalia. It also made known that "those who wish to entrust to the Holy Father their gesture of love for their Asian brothers so stricken by misfortune can so do by way of a money order on postal account no. 603035 of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum (address: 00120 Vatican City State), flagging the donation as being 'towards Asia emergency'".
Cor Unum also informs that various national Caritas centres have experts on the ground in disaster areas to assist local Caritas in relief operations and that the "Jesuit Refugee Services" is also assisting in local Church efforts. (FP)
