Vatican announces Health Care for Syrian Refugee Children in Lebanon
Vatican City, 27 Nov 2013: A Vatican’s project for the Health Care for Syrian refugee
Children in Lebanon – has been announced at a Press Conference on Wednesday in the
Vatican. Organized by the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, Children's Hospital Bambino
Gesù and Caritas Lebanon – all partners in the Project – the Press conference gave
some details of the project. Introducing the project, Cardinal Robert Sarah,
president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, said that this mission signals the strong
commitment and collaboration that different structures of the Holy See, united by
sharing the ministry of charity and from the testimony of Gospel to the least, have
been able to develop. It's an extraordinary demonstration of how the Church knows
how to act with one heart under the banner of the Cross, the desire to tie in more
and more closely with the charity and evangelization.
However, he said, with
the allocated fund, we can only help 3 or 4 thousand children, but suggested that
with the approaching Christmas, a period in which, unfortunately, consumerism often
surpasses the message of the Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus, we can make a difference
by helping these children suffering because of the war in Syria. "Cor Unum" is the
instrument of the Holy Father for the promotion of charity.
The Cardinal also
announced that he along with Secretary of ‘Cor Unum’, Bishop Giampietro Dal Toso,
will make a trip to Lebanon from 4 to 8 December.
We could not remain indifferent
in the face of difficult situation as that of the Syrian refugee children in Lebanon,
said Prof. Joseph Profiti, president of the Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù,
often called ‘Pope’s Hospital’. It is a specific mission for Bambino Gesù. He recalled
the remarks of Pope Francis to diffuse the crisis there. The Hospital plans to provide
adequate health services through doctors and nurses and other trained personals.
The
Children's Hospital Child Jesus is not only the largest Hospital and pediatric Research
Centre in Europe, which will celebrate 90th anniversary in 2014 of the
donation of the Hospital to the Holy See by the Salviati family, which in 1869 had
founded in Rome the first Children's Hospital in the history of Italy. In 1924, to
ensure its certain future, the family donated it to the Pope, who since then has always
promoted support for the protection of children's health.
Father Simon Faddoul,
President of Caritas Lebanon, saluted the God-sent Pope Francis saying, he has
set great example for us in following in the footsteps of Our Lord Jesus who Bestowed
love and compassion upon the poor of the world. Giving details to the services of
Caritas Lebanon he said, it has served since April 2011, 32,000 families, that is
around 160,000 individuals (94.3% Muslims and 5.7 % Christians). Caritas Lebanon
is working with around 382 schools to help children with tuition fees and school supplies.
Caritas Lebanon will be "providing Necessary infrastructures and human resources in
an adequate manner and will be Directly responsible for the management of financial
and other contributions provided by Cor Unum and Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital.
There are more than 2 million Syrians refugees, of whom more than 800 thousand
only Lebanon, Jordan 515 000, 460 000 in Turkey. 52 % of whom are children and
children under 17 years. Source: VR Sedoc