Universal Church’s solidarity for the Philippines

November 11, 2013 - Several Churches across the globe have responded to Pope Francis' appeal and gesture of concrete solidarity and closeness with the Filipino people following Typhoon Haiyan. On behalf of the Pope, the Vatican’s Pontifical Council ‘Cor Unum’ that coordinates Catholic Charities worldwide, is sending an initial contribution of $150,000 for the affected people, which will be channelled through the local Churches in the central regions most severely hit by the calamity. Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul sent his condolences to Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila and assured the prayers of the South Korean Catholics. Arch Yeom also sent $50,000 for emergency operations, along with a special collection on Sunday 24th of November in all the parishes of his diocese. The Diocese of Rome, of which Pope Francis is Bishop, has started a collection for emergency needs and reconstruction by the Philippine Church. It is sending an initial amount of €30,000 for immediate relief needs. The Italian Bishops have also swung into action sanctioning an initial amount of €1 million for the Philippine people. There are over 150,000 Filipino migrants working and living in in Italy.