Archbishop
Lawrence Saldanha, Archbishop of Lahore and President of the Pakistan Catholic
Bishops Conference has expressed his profound shock and grief at the large
scale destruction of life and property caused by the great earthquake of 8th
October 2005. He said that prayers had been offered in all Churches on Sunday
for the eternal peace of the deceased victims and for the recovery of thousands
of injured survivors.
The Archbishop said that this was the greatest
natural disaster in our country’s history and called upon all the Christians to
do their part in the relief efforts and urged them to contribute one day’s
salary to the President’s Relief Fund. He himself announced a donation of
rupees 5 lakhs from the Catholic Church of Pakistan.
† Lawrence Saldanha
Archbishop of Lahore
&
President
Pakistan Catholic Bishops
Conference
†
11th October 2005
His Excellency
General Pervez Musharraf
President of Pakistan
President’s House
Islamabad.
Your Excellency,
On behalf of the Christian community of Pakistan, I would
like to express our heartfelt condolences and sympathies for the catastrophic
earthquake that has devastated the northern areas of Pakistan. The Catholic
Bishops have donated 0.5 million rupees in the President’s Relief Fund.
We prayed on Sunday for those who were killed in this
terrible calamity and for the thousands of helpless and homeless survivors. In
response to your appeal for prayers, today, Tuesday 11th October
2005 Christians will offer special prayers to God for the quake-hit victims and
for the well-being and prosperity of our beloved homeland.
Your Excellency, I want to assure you that the Christian
community stands behind you in your relief operations. Our team of doctors and
other social workers from Lahore are already moving in Islamabad to join in the
relief efforts. Our foreign Christian partners are also expressing their
willingness to come to the assistance of the afflicted people.
As you complete six years at the helm of the country, we
pray that Almighty God may grant you extra strength and courage to lead the
country in this hour of natural disaster, the worst in the country’s history.
Pakistan Paindabad.
Yours very sincerely,
† Lawrence J. Saldanha
Archbishop of Lahore &
President
Pakistan Catholic Bishops Conference