ASIA/NEPAL - The Apostolic Vicar: "99% of the earthquake victims we help are not Catholics"

Thursday, 15 September 2016

Caritas Australia

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - "We are very busy with earthquake victims: the Church did everything it could do with regards to the first phase of humanitarian assistance and relief, which ended today. A year and a half after the disaster that hit the country in the spring of 2015, efforts are being made even in the second phase, that of reconstruction, thanks to the work of Caritas Nepal, and with the aid of the Caritas network around the world": says to Agenzia Fides Bishop Paul Simick, Apostolic Vicar of Nepal, who is attending a study Seminar for the new Bishops organized by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, held in Rome (see Fides 02/09/2016 ).
"The post-earthquake reconstruction process - says the Bishop - began recently: we waited for the procedures outlined in the fundamental Document of the government for the rehabilitation and reconstruction policy. We are focusing on houses, schools, hospitals, thanks to the contribution of religious orders such as the Jesuits and the Salesians, alongside many other non-Catholic NGOs".
"For us it is a way of witnessing the Gospel in Nepal. Many poor communities in remote areas have trust in us. 99% of the recipients of our aid programs are not Catholics", says Mgr. Simick.
"We want our presence in Nepal to be creative. Apostolic creativity is a gift of the Holy Spirit. We want to give a contribution to the Nepalese society and we do it primarily through education and social works, which we have been carrying out for more than 20 years", he notes.
"The Church in Nepal is a young Church, it is only 62 years old, and counts on the support of six male and 22 female congregations: in all 85 priests and 122 nuns who work in many areas of the country. People have a good opinion of us Catholics, a small flock of about 8,000 faithful", says the Apostolic Vicar of Nepal. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 15/09/2016)


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