Nuncio in Haiti says Church should use 'moral authority' to distribute aid

Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Papal Nuncio to Haiti

Archbishop Auza is a priest ot the Diocese of Talibon, Bohol, Philippines

Catholic News Agency carries this story: Nuncio in Haiti says Church should use 'moral authority' to distribute aid. Here is the text of the article.

Port au Prince, Haiti, Jan 20, 2010 / 03:06 pm (CNA).- The Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti, Archbishop Bernardito Auza called on volunteers in the country to use “their moral authority” in distributing aid arriving in Port-au-Prince. Due to logistical complications such as lack of transportation, it has been difficult for donations to reach victims of the January 12 earthquake.

A four-year-old boy cries as he receives medical treatment to his injured fingers at a makeshift hospital set up by the Belgian First Aid and Support Team in a suburb of Port-au-Prince

In an exclusive interview with CNA outside the Apostolic Nunciature in Petionville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, the archbishop urged those bringing aid to distribute it without waiting for greater security to be put in place.

“The Church must trust her moral authority in this task. Together with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), we have set up 12 aid-distribution stations. We cannot wait to have sufficient security in order to distribute (the aid), so we must make use of the moral authority we have as part of the Church of Christ,” the nuncio continued.

A young girl sits beside her injured mother in a tent city in the capital

“We have to trust in that moral authority and do this work so that the people who need the aid can receive it,” he added.

The nuncio also announced that the funeral for Archbishop Serge Miot of Port-au-Prince will take place on Saturday, January 23.

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A related CNA story: Number of Salesian students killed in Haiti rises to 500

Madrid, Spain, Jan 21, 2010 / 07:02 pm (CNA).- The Salesian Office in Madrid has revised its early estimates on the number of children and teens who lost their lives in the collapsed buildings and schools operated by the order in Haiti.  Officials now say that as many as 500 are buried under the rubble after the devastating earthquake.

According to a statement, “the U.N. Crisis Unit has been in communication with Haiti police who, nonetheless, continue the search for survivors.”

“The deaths of three Salesian religious needs to be added to this tragic number,” the statement indicated.  “Hubert Sanon, 85, Atsime Wilfrid, 28, and Vibrun Valsaint, 26,” all perished in the earthquake.

The remainder of the 66 Salesian religious in Haiti are safe, “although some suffered minor injuries.”

“The Salesians have opened a line of communication with the mission center in New Rochelle (New York), which is coordinating the assistance, and with the headquarters in Rome,” the statement continued.

“Salesians from the Dominican Republic have already sent 10 trucks full of supplies and medicine.  This is in addition to the containers of rice sent from the United States and the collections being taken up by the Salesian Family throughout the world.”