PATRAS, Greece, SEPT. 5, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Catholics in Greece are coming to the aid of those left homeless, landless and destitute by the fires that swept across the country in August.
Caritas Hellas, the national branch of the Caritas Confederation in Greece, released a statement Tuesday, calling the fire "a catastrophe of a magnitude that is alike to that of the Second World War."
Nationwide, an estimated 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) have been destroyed and at least 64 people were killed by the fires.
Father Marco Vitale, the parish priest of Patras on the north coast of the Peloponnese, said: "The Catholic hierarchy of Greece is calling upon all of its local parishes, however few we may be, to set up a funds collection this Saturday and Sunday to be distributed by Caritas Hellas to victims of the fires.
"We are just a small community of 1,000 Catholics here, but we are mobilizing along with Catholics across the country to do whatever we can."
Patras lies just 60 miles north of some of the worst hit areas in Ilia, Messinia, Arkadia and Ahaia.
Filling in gaps
Caritas Hellas has sent assessment teams to the most severely affected areas, and is gauging the best way to compensate for gaps in the aid being provided.
Antonios Groullero, secretary-general of Caritas Hellas, said that plans were to send a truck with 18 tons of corn to Evia today, "as a first step to help people there, who have lost so much."
Since "the government response is providing sufficient food and shelter for the people in these areas," said Groullero, the corn will go to the livestock, upon which the livelihood of most affected by the fire depends.
Farmers have lost sheep, entire herds of cattle, olive trees, vineyards, and lemon and orange groves.
In addition, many archaeological sites have been damaged, which will affect the livelihoods of people working in tourism.
For those who have lost their homes, Caritas is helping to provide temporary shelter in Catholic schools and other Catholic institutions, and it will help once reconstruction is under way.
Greece's 10.7 million inhabitants include about 50,000 Catholics.
ZE07090504 - 2007-09-05