The Pope specifically mentioned the Filipino people after praying in the Three Bell Sutras on December 19. On December 16, the severe typhoon “Rey” passed through the country, and the number of victims increased every hour. The Pope also reiterated his call for “concrete help” in a tweet. Father Dambulla, who served in the Philippines, testified that the new crown epidemic has not yet ended, and now this disaster has been added. “May our fellow churches continue to help those most in need.”
(Vatican News Network)After Pope Francis chanted the “Three Bells” on the fourth Sunday of Advent on December 19, he especially thought of the people of the Philippines. He said, “I express my care to the Filipino people who have been hit by a strong typhoon. The typhoon has destroyed many houses. May Santo Nino bring comfort and hope to extremely difficult families. May we all Everyone is inspired to give concrete help.”
Typhoon “Rey” is the strongest typhoon the Philippines has encountered this year. The number of deaths caused by the typhoon in the country is on the rise. Currently, more than 200 people have been injured and hundreds of people have been injured. On December 16, a typhoon hit the southeastern coast of the Philippines. According to a report from the National Police Agency, the strong typhoon caused power outages and communication interruptions in many provinces, and caused extensive damage, especially the central islands.
Father Sebastiano D’Ambra, a Pontifical Foreign Missionary and Secretary of the Committee of Religious Dialogue of the Philippine Bishops’ Conference, who served in the southern Philippines, was interviewed by this news website a few days ago and told about the local situation. He said that the communication interruption also affected his area, even though he was not so close to the disaster center. Father Dambulla, who has served in the Philippines since 1977, is very grateful to Pope Francis. He said, “It is always moving to hear his concerns.” In addition, the Pope visited the Philippines in January 2015 and is very concerned about the country. More than a year before the Pope’s visit, Typhoon Haiyan passed through the Philippines, causing more than 7,000 deaths.
Father Dambulla said sadly, “Unfortunately, from a geographical perspective, we are facing the threat of these typhoons. Many people have been displaced and are currently living in shelters. We have not overcome the consequences of the new crown epidemic. It It has more or less hindered the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity into the Philippines, and now, this tragic situation has happened again.”
Father Dambulla appealed to the churches who are in the same way to give concrete assistance to those most in need, just as the Pope had prayed for. This year’s Christmas will be a Christmas with complicated moods: on the one hand, the number of cases of infection with the new crown virus seems to have declined, so people can go out and work, which is a little breather; on the other hand, this typhoon disaster makes people feel better. The situation is even more embarrassing and scarce. Nevertheless, the church continues to approach those in need.
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