There are many similarities between the Asian tsunami on 26 December 2004 and the Haitian earthquake of 12 January 2010. Perhaps one person who might see the parallels most clearly is Pope Benedict XVI.
As Cardinal Ratzinger he heard the words of the Pope John Paul II on 22 January 2005, ‘I join my fellow Catholics and all believers in commending the victims of this terrible calamity to the infinite mercy of Almighty God and in imploring divine consolation upon the injured, the grieving and the homeless…’
Four days later, on 26 January, the future Pope was present at a massive concelebrated Mass in St Peter’s at which Cardinal Sodano expressed the thoughts of many: ‘Once again, human beings felt tiny as they faced the complexity of the planet on which we live. We felt a spontaneous inner urge to look to the heavens, seeking some response to the many questions that arise in moments of bewilderment. Some have wondered how it is possible that man, who can go to the moon, who can send a probe to Titan [largest moon of planet Saturn] more than a million kilometres from the earth, could be so powerless in the face of disasters of this kind.’
This year, Pope Benedict has himself encountered the awesome responsibility of trying to support the many thousands of grieving friends and relatives of more than 100,000 people killed in the Haitian earthquake. The Haitian authorities recently reported that 111,500 people have been found dead and another 193,891 are injured, with 3 million people displaced, but if the truth be told, their sums are approximations. They themselves admitted that they have little idea of the total number of private burials that have taken place.
Yet it is to the Church and especially to the Pope that people turn looking for an explanation and some words of comfort. ‘Having heard with profound sadness of the earthquake which has hit the country’s capital so hard, I want to assure you and all the faithful of the Church in Haiti of my great spiritual closeness and of my fervent prayers for all the people involved in this catastrophe. I ask God to accept into the peace of his Kingdom all those who have died in the earthquake…‘
The Holy Father directed Cor Unum, Caritas, Missio and other Catholic aid agencies to do everything possible for the people of Haiti. Fortunately, the Church was already ‘on the ground and active’ when the earthquake struck, so, unlike the UN and non-Church NGOs, a new infrastructure was unnecessary for the distribution of help. Thus, whilst the media reports that aid is insufficient, in many areas across Haiti, Church agencies are working effectively, bringing help to the exact places where it is needed. Blankets, tents, water, food and hygienic goods, medical services and mobile clinics are already set up and operating, donated by many Catholic agencies and coordinated by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) at the request of the Papal Nuncio. Across the world, Missio, which is present in 120 countries, is directing money to the Nuncio for immediate aid, for the rebuilding of the Church in Haiti and the restoration of the pastoral care and support so urgently needed at this time.
Within two days of the earthquake, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) had at least sixteen volunteers in Port-au-Prince and had transferred its stockpile of relief materials and funding from the Dominican Republic into Haiti and Catholic Relief Services had established twelve feeding centres in the devastated city. These are only two examples of many initiatives.
There is another similarity between the tsunami and the earthquake. In 2009, MIssio gave almost £360,000 just to Indonesia, much of it devoted to the rebuilding of the Church after the tsunami. Tsunami-affected dioceses across Asia still receive Missio support because when a disaster strikes, wounds are not healed when television cameras lose interest and emergency aid agencies depart. People’s needs actually increase once they are no longer in the limelight, producing ‘good media copy’ and no longer receive crisis help.
Just as Missio has continued its presence in the tsunami-affected Asia, so it will also remain for the people in Haiti.
Although not an emergency aid organisation, Missio was already supporting Haiti and in 2009 alone, gave £286,000 towards the Church’s work in basic and preventative healthcare, education, pastoral care and building projects, including major reconstruction in Port-au-Prince after massive flooding. It was not difficult to add a further £290,000 for immediate assistance, knowing that parishes across the world would come together to rebuild the shattered island where more than 80% of the 9 million people are Catholic.
In the midst of the chaos and rubble, the Church is providing shelter for the homeless and water for the thirsty. It is reaching out in love to the suffering Haitians.
Missio will channel any help you can give directly to the Church in Haiti for:
· the immediate relief and care of families and orphans
· rebuilding and sustenance of essential orphanages, schools and seminaries
· trauma counselling and the pastoral and spiritual care of survivors
You can donate to the Church in Haiti through Missio. For further information, please phone 020 7821 9755 or e-mail Monsignor John Dale at: director@missio.org.uk or visit www.missio.org.uk for website donations.