POPE John Paul II has sent his prayers and blessings to people affected by the recent Canberra fires.
In a message sent to Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn, Francis Carroll, through the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Pope offered prayers of hope for firefighters and people who offered assistance to the capital.
The statement said: ‘His Holiness prays for the firefighters and all involved in providing assistance to those who have been made homeless, encouraging them to continue their efforts to bring relief and support’.
Meanwhile, the Australian Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes (ACLRI) supported Archbishop Carroll’s pledge of prayers and practical help to the people who lost loved ones and homes in the fires.
ACLRI president, Presentation Sister Bernadette Keating, said religious women and men in ministries in Canberra carried the ongoing welfare of the people in their hearts.
‘We all stand in solidarity with the people of Canberra in their time of great need,’ she said.
Sr Keating said the ACLRI wanted to acknowledge the work of the emergency services in battling the inferno, even as some politicians looked to apportion blame for the disaster.
