VATICAN (SE): Pope Leo XIV has sent an initial emergency donation of €100,000 through the Apostolic Almoner’s Office to support Venezuela after two devastating earthquakes struck the country on June 24–25 . The quakes left more than 235 people dead, many more injured, and countless others feared trapped.
As rescue operations continue and the scale of the disaster becomes clear, the Holy See emphasises that this donation is only a first step, with further assistance to follow as needs are identified by the local Church.
The Holy See says the aid, coordinated with the apostolic nuncio to Venezuela, Archbishop Alberto Ortega Martín, and the Archbishop of Caracas, Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo, is only a first step, with further assistance to follow in response to needs identified by the local Church.
According to Vatican News, Catholic communities throughout Venezuela have opened parish buildings to provide shelter for displaced families and are coordinating emergency relief through local Caritas networks.
Teams of rescuers continue to search through the ruins of dozens of collapsed buildings after Wednesday evening’s earthquakes, which registered magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5.
Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas is still shut, and the worst destruction has occurred in the coastal state of La Guaira, north of the capital, where many structures have crumbled.
Officials report that at least 235 people have died and more than 4,000 have been injured as of June 26. The death toll is expected to climb as emergency teams continue to sift through the debris. Over twenty aftershocks have shaken the region, with tremors reaching as far as Colombia.
Delcy Rodríguez, the acting president of Venezuela, declared a national state of disaster and emergency, describing La Guaira as a “disaster zone.”
The destruction is extensive. Churches such as Caracas Cathedral and several parish churches have sustained serious structural damage, along with seminaries and other church properties, Vatican News reported.
Despite the devastation, church leaders remain committed to offering shelter, food, and spiritual support to those left homeless.
Vatican News also noted that international aid is now arriving from across the Americas and further afield, while search and rescue teams work urgently to find survivors beneath the debris.
