ASIA/JORDAN - Caritas Director says Cardinal's visit is proof of whole Church's concern for Syrian refugees

Amman (Agenzia Fides) - "In Jordan alone there are 380 thousand refugees who fled Syria and the number grows day by day. The visit by Cardinal Robert Sarah is proof that the whole Church is concerned about this most serious humanitarian emergency, which we cannot face alone". Fides was told by Wael Suleiman, director of Caritas Jordan, commenting the arrival in the Hashemite Kingdom of the president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. Today Cardinal Sarah will meet 200 Syrian refugee families at the Latin Catholic parish in Zarqa. Tomorrow he will be in Amman to open the annual assembly of the regional connecting body of 17 national Caritas agencies in the Middle East and North Africa (Caritas MONA), proposing also reflections on the papal document Motu Proprio Intima Ecclesiae natura, on the Service of Charity, made public last December.
This year the Caritas MONA summit will be attended by more than 40 delegates including bishops, priests, laity and religious active in various national structures. It has been announced that those present will include the Chaldean Catholic Bishop of Aleppo, Bishop Antoine Audo, president di Caritas Syria, and the Chaldean Catholic auxiliary bishop of Baghdad, Bishop Shlemon Wardouni, president of Caritas Iraq. Tomorrow the assembly will focus on the Syrian emergency to identify needs and coordinate strategies to provide the necessary humanitarian aid and assistance. Tomorrow the summit participants are scheduled to meet Jordan’s sovereign, King Abdallah II. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 19/2/2013).