Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Port-au-Prince (Agenzia Fides) – Various Bishops' Conferences of Latin America took immediate action as soon as they heard the news of the earthquake in Haiti. The President of the Bishops' Conference of the Dominican Republic, Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez, said that all the Catholic churches throughout the country will make a large contribution to help their neighboring country of Haiti. The Dominican Republic is the only country bordering Haiti and is becoming the benchmark for the arrival of international aid from around the world. In a letter to the Archbishop of Cap-Haitien and President of the Haitian Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Louis Kebreau, the Cardinal of the Dominican Republic assured the prayers of all the parishes, for the dead and for those who have been affected. Cardinal López Rodríguez, expressing the solidarity of the people of the Dominican Republic, announced that it will carry out collections and invites the other nations in the Americas to offer all necessary assistance to Haiti. The Cardinal recalled that the Dominican Republic shares a lot of living history with the people of Haiti. Even today, in fact, many DR natives work or have begun businesses in Haiti and at the same time, many citizens of Haiti are laborers or engaged in domestic work in Santo Domingo.
The Bolivian Bishops' Conference has promoted a campaign of prayer and active solidarity with the victims of Haiti, referred to as "Bolivianos por Haiti."
The Secretary of the Bishops' Conference of Brazil (CNBB), Bishop Dimas Lara Barbosa, was sent to Haiti after the earthquake that killed 11 Brazilian soldiers of the peacekeeping force the UN along with Dr. Zilda Arns, the founder of the Pastoral Care of Children, and the biological sister of Cardinal Evaristo Arns, Archbishop Emeritus of Sao Paulo.
The Chilean Bishops' Conference (CECH) has invited all people of good will to effectively express their solidarity for the victims of the earthquake, making a generous contribution.
In a statement sent to Agenzia Fides, Msgr. John E. Kozar, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in the United States said: "All of us in this ‘one family in mission’ reach out in prayerful solidarity to our suffering brothers and sisters in Haiti.” The PMS has launched the “Haitian Solidarity Fund,” a special fund for long-term assistance for the Church in Haiti, to continue responding to the needs of the country in the wake of this natural disaster. The PMS Director also mentioned that “As the Church in Haiti assesses the massive damages and the overwhelming needs, they will need financial assistance as they help to rebuild the infrastructure of the Church there that will, in turn, be critical to serve the poor and enable the suffering here to rebuild their lives.”
The Venezuelan Bishops' Conference, through the Caritas network, promotes and encourages all Venezuelans to participate in the campaign of solidarity with their Haitian brothers. All aid will be coordinated in collaboration with Caritas Haiti to design a strategic plan. The Bishops of Venezuela, represented by Monsignor José Luis Azuaje, President of Caritas Venezuela, have organized the collection for next Sunday, January 17. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 14/01/2010)
