Bishops worldwide affirm solidarity with Japan

(March 18, 2011) The disastrous earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan March 11 has elicited a major show of solidarity from bishops worldwide. The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, sent a letter to the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, Archbishop Leo Jun Ikenaga of Osaka, to express support in the wake of the disaster. Archbishop Dolan noted that Catholic Relief Services, the humanitarian agency of the U.S. bishops, has already been in touch with Caritas in Japan. Japan’s death toll is expected to exceed 10,000, with 10,354 still missing. According to Japanese foreign ministry, 117 countries and 29 international organisations have offered assistance. The president of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, sent a similar letter to Archbishop Ikenaga offering "deepest condolences following the devastating earthquake and tsunami." The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is likewise encouraging the faithful to pray for the victims of the earthquake with the publication of a prayer that can be said for the people of Japan. In Ireland, the bishops' conference also distributed a prayer for the people of Japan, encouraging people to use it in parishes, schools and at home. Cardinal Seán Brady, archbishop of Armagh, Ireland, encouraged the faithful to pray at Mass for the victims. At the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, a continuous prayer campaign is taking place to "offer moral and spiritual support to the courageous Japanese nation," a communiqué reported. All Masses celebrated in Lourdes from March 16 to March 20 are being dedicated to the intentions of the inhabitants of Japan. Catholics in Slovakia are raising a fund for Caritas Japan.