Card. Tagle in Nepal to renew hope 1 year from earthquake

(Vatican Radio) Marking the 1st anniversary of the powerful earthquake in Nepal that killed nearly 9,000 people and left millions homeless, Cardinal Luis Tagle, President of Caritas Internationalis, has travelled to Kathmandu to be with the people and to participate in a 3-day Caritas meeting.

Having been in the forefront of the emergency, responding to the disaster as it unfolded, and having lent continued support to the stricken population, Caritas Nepal is now involved in reconstruction efforts and is planning long-term development with the help of other Caritas members.   

In the past 12 months the helping hand of the Church has offered aid to over a million people, but there is still much left to do and reconstruction work has been slow to get off the ground due to the fact that the government, in disarray for nearly a decade, has not regrouped enough to be a strong force for reconstruction.

Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni managed to reach Cardinal Tagle via the telephone in Kathmandu:

Listen: 

“We are here as Caritas Confederation to commemorate the first anniversary of the devastating and deadly earthquake that hit this beautiful country a year ago” he said.

This visit – Cardinal Tagle explained - is centered on solidarity: “It really consoles your heart; it edifies you to see the different Caritas member organizations that are present here showing our love, our concern. They are the visible manifestation of love in action which really gives hope”.

Cardinal Tagle, who had only just landed in the Nepalese capital, said that even along the road from the airport to the site of the meeting, signs of the earthquake are still very visible and the people are still struggling “to rebuild their lives and their dreams”.

As regards the work of the Caritas organizations which are linked together in a confederation to serve the world’s poor according to the mission of the Church, Cardinal Tagle said it is truly inspiring to see them putting ‘love into action’: “To have people who are from different parts of the world offering not only aid and emergency assistance, but also their passion, their general concern – speaks not only to the Church in Nepal but to humanity itself”.

The Cardinal also spoke of the incredible resilience of the Nepalese people notwithstanding the fact an estimated 4 million people are still living in sub-standard temporary shelters in conditions that pose a threat to their very health and well-being.

He said that although so many continue to struggle every day, their trust in the future is tangible:

“Yes, you can see it in the smiles on the faces of the people here in Nepal. You can see they have had their share of suffering but you can see humanity, you can see sincere joy, you can see the resilience that marks these people”. 

Things are far from over – Cardinal Tagle says: “but what continues to shine through is their hope – not so much for themselves but for their children and the future”.