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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Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops