Venezuela earthquakes aftermath: Church focusing on burials, aid, church repairs

The Archdiocese of Caracas has presented a report on the Church’s response following the double earthquake that struck Venezuela a month ago. At a July 22 press conference, Archbishop Raúl Biord noted that the Church “has responded promptly” to the task of assisting those most affected.

More than 5,000 people died in the tragedy, according to official figures from the interim government, while tens of thousands were injured and left homeless. Other estimates place the number of missing persons in the tens of thousands. La Guaira, Caracas, and El Junquito were among the hardest-hit areas; all of them fall within the ecclesiastical province of Caracas.

Biord explained that from the very beginning, the archdiocese “established an emergency response commission” tasked with managing spiritual, psychological, and material care for those affected. The archbishop expressed his gratitude to the “huge number of people” who have stepped up as Caritas volunteers across the country.

The report presented by the Archdiocese of Caracas focused on three main areas of action: pastoral, material, and infrastructure. Representatives responsible for each of these areas provided details regarding…