Even the small Church present in Morocco, as well as the local and international Caritas, have mobilized to bring help to the dramatically affected populations. “In the face of such a tragedy, we want to express compassion and closeness to the whole country and to all the grieving families,” said the archbishop of Rabat, Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero
«Your land is the same land in which we live, the events that concern you, of joy or pain, also concern us. We are shocked by this catastrophic earthquake that has affected so many people, families and communities in Morocco.” With a statement, but also with concrete actions, the small Christian community present in the Moroccan kingdom rallied around the people hit by the devastating earthquake of 8 September in the Marrakech area. Currently, they are estimated over 3,000 victims and more than 5,500 injured: 300 thousand people lost everything
Il Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, archbishop of Rabat, signed, together with the Catholic archbishop of Tangier, the president of the Evangelical Church, and representatives of the Orthodox and Anglican Churches, a document expressing «compassion and closeness to the whole country and to all the Moroccan families who are in mourning , who have been injured or who have lost their homes and possessions. And even if our Christian communities were overall spared, we are very keen to solicit everyone’s solidarity in order to help rebuild and deal with the most urgent needs regarding in particular healthcare, education, the elderly, the sick and children ».
Only the two churches in Marrakech and Ouarzazate were damaged. In Marrakech, where Cardinal Lopez went on 10 September to celebrate a Mass in memory of the victims of the earthquake in the church of the Saints Martyrs, the Congregation of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary opened the doors of the school La Saadia to the displaced: «We are lucky to be in a solid building, but all the people around all ran away and were very scared – says the director Sister Géraldine Alezeau -. To be able to welcome them we opened the school courtyard and the halls. Some spent the night in our premises to be a little more sheltered.”
«The needs are enormous: food, clothes, tents and even hygiene kits and blankets for the cold of the night. There are entire villages destroyed”, testifies Father Oscar Arturo Padilla, director of Caritas Rabat, who visited in particular the town of Amizmiz, which is about 50 kilometers from Marrakech, and some small towns in the mountains of the area. And right here, where there is a camp for survivors of over 20 thousand people, the first aid convoy organized by Caritas arrived on Tuesday 12 September. «Crossing the streets of Amzmiz means realizing how wounded the city is. There are tents along the road and a constant movement of people. The disorganization is perceptible everywhere”, testifies Don Oscar. Other convoys will also be sent to the most remote villages, particularly those located in the High Atlas.
Also there Charity International and the General Secretariat of Caritas for the Middle East and North Africa immediately mobilized to provide support and economic support: «We are deeply close to the people who suffered this devastating earthquake. Since the first moments after the earthquake, we have been in close contact with our colleagues at Caritas Morocco and are moving quickly to provide what people need. Thanks to everyone who supports our work. We couldn’t do it without you!”, declared Alistair Dutton, Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis. Mashed potato Italian Caritas is involved in humanitarian action, thanks also to the allocation of 300 thousand euros from the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) from the 8X1000 funds.
Pope francesco, at the Angelus on Sunday, he prayed for «the dear people of Morocco, hit by a devastating earthquake, for the injured, for those who lost their lives and for their families. I thank the rescuers and those who are working to alleviate people’s suffering. We are close to the people of Morocco.”
“May God help us to draw positive consequences from this painful event, transforming our heart into a merciful, supportive and tender heart towards all our brothers and sisters, when they find themselves in a situation of suffering”, stated Cardinal Lopez and with him all the Christian religious leaders present in Morocco.