President of United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops Issues Letter Following Recent Natural
Disasters in Indonesia
October
8, 2018
WASHINGTON—Cardinal
Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and President of the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote a letter of solidarity to
Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, Archbishop of Jakarta in light of
the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Indonesia. As of recent reports, those
killed now number over 1,200 and over 50,000 displaced.
The full
letter follows:
“May the
Lord protect and assuage the grief of those affected by natural disaster in
Indonesia.
It is
with great sadness that I learned of the enormous twin tragedies that struck
this past weekend, killing over 800 people on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia.
Undoubtedly many are suffering injuries and thousands have been made homeless
as the earthquakes and tidal wave devastated homes, schools, churches and other
buildings. The fact that these natural disasters have come so soon after a
large earthquake struck Lombok Island and surrounding areas in July 2018 means
that emergency relief efforts have already been put to the test. I am pleased
to learn that Catholic Relief Services in Indonesia, together with Caritas
Indonesia, are on hand to assess conditions and provide humanitarian assistance
as quickly as possible.
On behalf
of my brother bishops of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I
want to assure you of our prayers and expressions of solidarity with the Church
in Indonesia in this difficult time. I pray for the victims of these disasters
and the survivors who are struggling to regain their lives. I join with the
Holy Father in praying for consolation, healing, and protection for victims and
their families as he said, ‘May the Lord console them and sustain the efforts
of those who are taking part in the relief efforts.’”
Keywords:
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo,
Indonesia, Jakarta, earthquake, tsunami, Catholic Relief Services
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