The Vatican’s top envoy to the Middle East, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, has called for an end to sanctions against Syria, which he says “benefit no one” and are hindering earthquake relief efforts in the country. Gugerotti visited Syria and Turkey from 17-21 February to express Pope Francis’s support for earthquake victims and to coordinate relief Read more
Pope Francis has dispatched a team of papal representatives to provide supplies and comfort to victims of a massive earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6. Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Charity, and Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Oriental Churches, have been on the Read more
Pope Francis is urging people to pray and offer concrete support for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked both countries last week, toppling buildings and killing tens of thousands. Hearing the call, the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will be providing at least NZ$800,000 of immediate Read more
Turkey and Syria need our help urgently, say Pope Francis, Orthodox patriarchs and other church leaders. Both countries were struck by two powerful earthquakes on Monday last week. They need solidarity from all of us – and they are “in part already martyred by a long war”, the pope says. By Sunday 12 February, the Read more
Following last week’s deadly earthquakes, New Zealand’s Catholic bishops joined with all Oceania’s Catholic bishops in sending Church and civic leaders in Turkey and Syria a united message of condolence. “Our hearts break at the death and destruction we are seeing on our television screens and in our newspapers,” they wrote last week during the Read more