Venezuela was hit by two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude on June 24.
Pope Leo XIV has sent 100,000 euros (about $114,000) in humanitarian aid to Venezuela following two devastating earthquakes that hit the country on June 24.
The Holy Father sent the funds in order to express his closeness to the Venezuelan people through a donation made via the papal almoner, the pope’s charitable office, according to Vatican News.
The financial aid has been sent to Church leaders in the country, and the amount was agreed upon after consultations with the apostolic nuncio to Venezuela, Archbishop Alberto Ortega Martín, and the archbishop of Caracas, Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo.
The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck Venezuela after 6:00 p.m. local time, with particular intensity in La Guaira and Caracas, where, according to Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, “there are several complicated areas,” in which a number of buildings have collapsed.
Although it is still too early to determine the full extent of the tragedy, the provisional toll stands at at least 164 dead and nearly 1,000 injured. Rescue teams continue working around the clock to locate and save people trapped under the rubble.
The Catholic Church mobilized from the very first moments after the devastating quakes. The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need has launched initiatives to support those affected.
For its part, Caritas Internationalis has allocated 100,000 euros for emergency relief, in coordination with Caritas Venezuela, which has a network of nearly 30,000 volunteers deployed throughout the country.
Archbishop Biord of Caracas lamented the “serious structural damage” suffered by numerous parishes, as well as damage recorded in the cathedral and in 12 other churches.
He noted, however, that the number of victims could have been significantly higher had it not been a holiday. “Thank God it was a holiday. If it had been a working day, with schools, offices, and businesses open, the number of victims would have been much higher,” he said.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language sister service. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
