Church called to action after deadly Venezuela quakes

Two violent quakes 40 seconds apart struck northern Venezuela shortly after 6pm on the evening of June 24. The first quake, registering 7.2 magnitude, was followed by a second with a magnitude of 7.5 – one of the strongest tremors to hit the nation since 1900.

According to official figures as of June 27, 1430 people died in the “doublet” earthquake, which left 3360 people wounded.

More than 55,000 people were reported missing and more than 200 buildings collapsed after the earthquakes. The United Nations estimates that nearly seven million people may be affected by the disaster, including two million in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Caritas Venezuela said in a statement on behalf of the Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference: “The images that have circulated in recent hours – collapsed buildings, displaced families, entire communities seeking refuge in the streets – remind us, once again, of the fragility of human life and the urgency of fraternal solidarity. It is at times like these, when the very earth seems to be shifting beneath our feet, that the Church is called to be a presence, a source of comfort and a force for concrete action alongside those who are suffering.”

Caritas, which is opening a national collection centre for donations, added: “Our thoughts are particularly with those who, already battered by the poverty and precariousness affecting a large part of our people, now see their suffering multiplied, and look with desolation and deep despair towards a future that seems uncertain. To them we say: you are not alone. The Church, through Cáritas, walks alongside you.”

The bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) said they are standing in solidarity with the people of Venezuela after the earthquakes, which were felt across the entire region, with buildings evacuated as far away as Brazil’s Amazon.

Fr Arturo Sosa SJ, the Venezuelan-born superior general of the Society of Jesus, said he was called to “renew his hope in Jesus” after the devastation of the earthquakes.

Pope Leo XIV sent an initial €100,000 emergency donation to Venezuela to help the response to the disaster, while Aid to the Church in Need announced it would send the same figure to support the initial response. Seventeen countries and the United Nations have sent humanitarian aid to the earthquake zone.

The US Treasury issued a statement on June 25 saying it would waive some sanctions on Venezuela until October 23 to allow transactions related to earthquake relief efforts.

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Catholic Church in Venezuela responds to earthquakes (by Bess Twiston Davies and Ryan Bachoo/The Tablet)