Church groups rush aid to China’s quake victims

Church organizations in mainland China are mobilizing resources to assist quake victims in Qinghai province, northwestern China. On April 14 morning, Yushu county in the southern Qinghai was hit by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake which killed more than 1000 people and injured another 10,000.

The Relief Department of Jinde Charities in Hebei province has contacted its local Church partner on the situation. Father Joseph Li Dongsheng of Qinghai told the nationwide Catholic NGO that quake survivors are presently staying in the open-air area at a racecourse for fear of aftershocks. The road leading to Yushu has been cut off and most of the houses have collapsed. The priest said there is only one Catholic family living in Yushu, where 93 percent of the population is ethnic Tibetan. The three members of the family, which provided the information on the situation, are unharmed although their house is slightly damaged. According to China’s official Xinhua News Agency, more than 100,000 victims spent the night braving a temperature of minus 4 degrees Celsius. Overseas Church partners, such as Caritas International and other Caritas network members, have called or emailed Jinde to express their desire to cooperate with Chinese Catholics in carrying out relief work. Meanwhile, the Catholic Social Service Center of Xi’an diocese , based in the capital of Shaanxi province, has appealed for donations and prayers for victims. The center “feels that it is our responsibility to contribute as much as we can to help the victims in Yushu,” says the appeal.

In Rome, Pope Benedict XVI prayed for quake victims at the end of his general audience in St. Peter’s Square on April 14. “I am praying for the victims and am spiritually near all those affected by this very serious tragedy. I implore God that they may find relief from their suffering and courage in this time of adversity. I hope that there will be no lack of solidarity shown,” he said. In 2008, a stronger 8.0-magnitude quake had struck neighboring Sichuan province.
Our friend Fr. Michael Saso, adds from Los Angeles, US:

The school/orphanage we (Sino-Asian Institute) built in Yushu/Jiegundo, the earthquake area, was damaged, but none of the students were injured! We thank God for this, indeed a great blessing; only the Catholic relief agency form HK, Caritas, is being allowed in, all of the Buddhist monks whom I know, who helped build the school, have been turned away. I hope to go there, or at least send help.