After a pair of earthquakes struck the mountainous region of Junín in Peru, the Catholic Church expressed solidarity with victims’ families and is coordinating humanitarian aid to help victims, as well as efforts to preserve damaged historic churches. Source: OSV News.
“We join in the grief of the families mourning their loved ones, raising our prayers for the eternal rest of the deceased, and asking the Lord to grant strength, comfort, and hope to all,” the Peruvian bishops’ conference said in a statement published on Sunday.
According to Peru’s National Civil Defence Institute, at least five people were killed and 32 wounded after two earthquakes measuring magnitudes of 5.1 and 3.7 struck on July 18 in the Chupaca province, located about 300 kilometres east of the Peruvian capital of Lima.
Dozens of homes were destroyed or declared uninhabitable following the earthquake, plus several public buildings, including two churches, the institute said, adding that the earthquake also caused damage in Huancayo and Huancavelica.
The Archdiocese of Huancayo said it was coordinating humanitarian efforts through its Caritas office and “is actively participating in first response efforts”.
In a statement published on Sunday, the archdiocese said Archbishop Luis Alberto Huamán Camayo of Huancayo travelled to the city of Pumpunya, which also suffered significant damage, “to support the affected population, express the Church’s solidarity, and coordinate relief efforts with the authorities and emergency teams present in the area”.
“Through Caritas Huancayo, humanitarian aid has been distributed consisting of non-perishable food, water, blankets, pots, stoves and other essential items, intended to immediately assist families who lost their homes or were seriously affected by the earthquake,” the statement read.
The archdiocese was also assessing damage to several churches and properties, including the El Copón chapel in Pumpunya and the Church of St James the Apostle in Chongos Bajo.
According to the Peruvian bishops’ conference, both religious buildings are National Cultural Heritage sites.
“The Church of St James the Apostle in Chongos Bajo, built in the 16th century, suffered particularly significant damage, including the partial collapse of the roof and part of the pediment,” the bishops said.
“The bell tower is also at risk of collapse, and therefore, the necessary actions are being coordinated to protect this important expression of the country’s historical and religious heritage.”
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Peru: Historic churches severely damaged following earthquakes (By Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News)
