Hundreds of Syrian refugees welcome Card Robert Sarah in Zarqa

February 21, 2013: Hundreds of Syrian refugees welcomed Card Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, during a visit to a refugee camp in Zarqa, Jordan, one of the points of destination for civilians fleeing the war in Syria.

The visit took place Tuesday afternoon on the margins of a regional forum organised by Caritas in the Middle East and North Africa that opened Wednesday morning in Amman, said Fr Rifat Bader, a Jordanian priest who heads the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in the Jordanian capital.

The Catholic Church's humanitarian work must be linked to the preaching of God's word, the sacraments and evangelization, Cardinal Robert Sarah told the meeting of church aid workers. As he opened the gathering, explaining that charity must be a true expression of the Gospel. In Jordan to assess how church agencies were responding to the refugee crisis resulting from 23 months of civil war in Syria, Cardinal Sarah praised Caritas Jordan staffers for understanding "that exercising charity is a mission, not a job."

Caritas Jordan aids nearly one-fourth of about 368,000 Syrians who have made their way to the country, said Omar Abawi of the group's emergency response unit. Citing Pope Benedict XVI's November apostolic letter on the "service of charity," issued "motu proprio" (on the pope's "own initiative"), the Vatican official explained that charity reflects God's commitment to people and "makes us act for the good of every human being."

On this occasion, the prelate personally brought money for the camp and handed out parcels with essential items the refugees as well. The cardinal took the opportunity to meet local Church officials involved with displaced people and children attending schools run by the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem.

Local Churches' charity organisations and Syrian refugees are among the main topics of the meeting. Because of embargoes and regime bans, refugees cannot receive outside aid. Thursday, the cardinal will meet Jordanian King Abdullah II who publicly thanked the local chapter of Caritas for its work on behalf of the poor, the sick and the elderly.