Editorial

As Venezuela faces earthquakes’ aftermath, let us radiate Jesus’ love to our sisters, brothers in need

It has been a month since two earthquakes rocked Venezuela, and relief workers are still assessing the damage caused by the 7.2 and 7.5 quakes, which took place just 39 seconds apart on June 24. They were the strongest to hit the country in more than a century.

As The Criterion went to press, the death toll stood at more than 5,200.

Many communities are still digging through the rubble, and thousands are still missing.

Disaster response workers note the damage is a lot worse than expected, and they are asking people to “keep Venezuelans in their hearts.”

We also know the South American country and its people still desperately need our prayers. We must wholeheartedly provide those petitions.

Robyn Fieser of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), who is in Venezuela helping with relief efforts, told OSV News that “there were literally blocks of buildings that were just pancaked onto themselves. There was massive destruction for blocks.”

Not surprisingly, electrical, water and sanitation infrastructure has been severely compromised by the quakes.

According to media reports, rescue and recovery efforts have also been hampered by existing long-running crises in Venezuela. Home to the world’s largest oil deposits, the Latin American nation has been plagued for years by an authoritarian government, human rights abuses, endemic corruption and economic collapse.

Following the recitation of the Angelus on July 5, Pope Leo XIV said, “I continue to remember in my prayers the victims of the earthquake and all the Venezuelan people. May the Lord sustain them in this time of great hardship.”

Great hardship, sadly, is something we see too often in our fractured world.

As people charged to love our sisters and brothers around the globe, it is always heartbreaking to witness tragedies where there is a great loss of life. It should also remind us of the frailty of the human condition.

How many Venezuelan people—young or old, rich or poor, those of unwavering faith or those with little or no faith—expected a few weeks ago to face a crisis of this magnitude?

Too many lost family, friends, homes—literally everything—and were longtime residents in communities that may never recover. We also believe for those who survive, the rebuilding of their lives could take years. And it will not be easy.

CRS—the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) overseas humanitarian and development agency—is “working extremely closely” with its in-country partner Caritas Venezuela, according to CRS spokesperson Brittany Wichtendahl.

Both organizations are part of Caritas Internationalis, the universal Church’s global humanitarian network, and have together distributed hundreds of emergency food and hygiene kits, along with tarpaulins for shelter.

They are working to provide Venezuelans with the basic necessities for daily life as they work to rebuild, CRS officials said.

“They need food, they need water,” said Fieser, who is coordinating CRS’ emergency communications on the ground. “We’re providing hygiene kits so people can wash and brush their teeth, and we’re taking care of diapers for their children. We’re providing blankets, food—they need everything, because they’re not home.”

The damage, Fieser added, is far more than physical.

“Every single person that I’ve spoken to is traumatized—every single person,” she said.

When it comes to helping our neighbors in need, parishioners in central and southern Indiana have always been generous.

Beyond the prayers offered, CRS is collecting financial donations for our brothers and sisters in Venezuela. Gifts will help get urgently needed supplies to families and communities in the difficult days ahead. Go to crs.org/donate/venezuela-earthquake to donate.

Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, called upon the faithful to pray for divine assistance in helping Venezuelans.

“Let us all join in prayer that Our Lady of Coromoto, patroness of Venezuela, will comfort and protect her children and that compassionate international assistance will arrive swiftly,” he said.

Scripture reminds us we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers and must radiate Jesus’ love to the world.

Please, Lord, for those suffering in Venezuela, may we do our part.

—Mike Krokos