Pope Francis in solidarity with the people of Lebanon

By Vatican News

In a gesture of solidarity with the people of Lebanon, Pope Francis has donated 250,000 Euro as initial aid to assist the Church in these moments of difficulty and suffering.

The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced the Pope’s donation in a statement on Friday. The donation “is intended as a sign of His Holiness’s attention and closeness to the affected population and of his fatherly closeness to people in serious difficulty," the statement reads.

Pope  Francis's donation was sent through the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development to the Apostolic Nunciature of Beirut. It will serve to assist those affected by the explosion of 4 August.

On Tuesday evening, a massive blast ripped through the port of Beirut and the surrounding areas, killing over 100 people, injuring thousands and causing damage to buildings, including Churches and monasteries. Local authorities report that the explosion was caused by tons of ammonium nitrate sorted a warehouse in the port of Lebanon’s capital.

The Church, through Caritas Lebanon and Caritas Internationalis, is helping to provide emergency assistance for those affected by the Beirut explosion. 

Prayers for Lebanon

The Dicastery for Integral Human Development echoes Pope Francis's invitation to pray for Lebanon during the weekly General Audience on Wednesday:

"Let us pray for the victims, for their families; and let us pray for Lebanon so that, through the dedication of all its social, political and religious elements, it might face this extremely tragic and painful moment and, with the help of the international community, overcome the grave crisis they are experiencing, the Pope prayed.