Haiyan recovery can show world a united church says Filipino cardinal

Feb.04,2014: In the Philippines, Cardinal Luis Tagle, Archbishop of Manila on Tuesday welcomed U.S. Catholic leaders reviewing Typhoon Haiyan recovery efforts and told them that the work to rebuild devastated communities can show the world a church united in the service of people in need. Cardinal Tagle described the utter destruction he saw during a visit to Tacloban soon after the Nov. 8 typhoon swept in from the sea with 195-mile-an-hour winds. He reminded the international delegation Feb. 3 that storm survivors can teach visitors about the importance of perseverance and maintaining faith in God. “During his visit to the devastated area, we knew it was possible for humankind to be together, to feel for one another and to transcend the barriers, Cardinal Tagle told a delegation of more than a dozen representatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,(USCCB) Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Australia in a meeting at the office of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. "In that regard we saw that there is so much hope for the world. We just prayed that this will be sustained and become a lifestyle to be spearheaded by Christians, " Cardinal Tagle added.
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, USCCB president, who was leading the delegation on its weeklong visit to the Philippines, told the Cardinal Tagle that the U.S. church wanted to work side-by-side with Filipinos in the long recovery process. U.S. parishes are still are collecting funds he said. and added that about $9 million will be raised in parish special collections for the recovery effort.
As of Jan. 29, more than 6,200 people had died and more than 28,600 were injured in the storm while nearly 1,800 remained missing, according to the Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Source: CNS