Scottish Catholic Observer

Caritas Internationalis, the international network of Catholic charities, of which the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) is a member, held a meeting at the Vatican during Holy Week at which members pledged their support to the work of Caritas Syria, and to members in the region who are helping in, Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan—countries to which many Syrian refugees have fled—with food, shelter, medical supplies, healthcare, education and finding employment in combined programmes of nearly €15 million.

“In this Holy Week at which end we celebrate the risen Christ, we stand with those suffering from the violence in Syria and we will continue to alleviate their suffering,” a statement from the meeting said. “We pray for peace and dialogue among the conflicting parties so further suffering and bloodshed is avoided. Easter is a season of solidarity and hope reborn out of despair. Although the war in Syria seems to be intractable, there is a solution through a dialogue.”

The Caritas Internationalis pledge came as news arrived from Syria that a permanent deacon in training had been killed during Holy Week by a bomb blast in the country’s capital city, Damascus. Benjamn Camil, 35, was on his way home last Tuesday morning after distributing food to destitute people when an explosive killed him instantly.

In a message sent to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, Maronite Archbishop Samir Nassar of Damascus called Mr Camil ‘a martyr’ and said his death showed that the area, home to many Christians, was now a target for attacks. “The tragic death of Benjamin Camil shows that nobody is safe any more, whether fighter or peaceful civilian,” the archbishop said.

In her debut SCO column, Patricia Chalé, SCIAF’s executive director, speaks of the agency’s work with Caritas Jordan and Caritas Syria. “To date, SCIAF has directed £50,000 to help provide humanitarian aid to the growing population of desperate refugees,” she said. Catholic Relief Services has said that churches and monasteries in Turkey are struggling to shelter the influx of Syrian refugees.

—Patricia Chalé column in full, visit: http://sconews.co.uk/opinion/27299/walk-with-the-poor-and-suffering

—This story was published in full in the April 5 print edition of the SCO