Lyons (Fides Service) - On the first day of Lent the season of fasting, prayer and sharing, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyons, urged Catholics to show solidarity towards victims of the earthquake in Morrocco on Tuesday 24 February. In his message, dated 25 February Ash Wednesday, Cardinal Barbarin says: “This Wednesday is a day of prayer and fasting on which we are encouraged to share the suffering of people struck by illness, war, other violence or disasater. How can we fail to feel close to the families in Morocco grieving the loved ones killed in the terrible earthquake yesterday in the region of Al Hoceima ?”. Quoting the Gospel of Matthew 25, 34-36 (“I was hungry and you gave me to eat,I was thristy and you gave me to drink...”), Cardinal Barbarin ends his message by calling on all “ Christians and men and women of good will” to help these sticken people by sending offerings which will be forwarded to the Bishop of Rabat and Tanger who will give them to Caritas for Marocco. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 26/2/2004; Righe 12; Parole 177)