China Church mobilizes earthquake aid

(April 17, 2010) Church organizations in mainland China are mobilizing resources to assist quake victims in Qinghai province, northwestern China. Yushu county in southern Qinghai was hit by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake on April 14 morning, killing at least 1,300 people. The Relief Department of Jinde Charities in Hebei province has contacted its local Church partner on the situation. Fr 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. 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. Pope Benedict XVI remembered and prayed for the quake victims at the end of his general audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday.