CNS STORY: Even in midst of economic crisis, charity must continue, pope says

POPE-MIDEAST Jun-25-2009 (320 words) xxxi

Even in midst of economic crisis, charity must continue, pope says

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In the midst of an economic crisis, Catholic charitable agencies that assist Christians in the Middle East must give priority to caring for migrants and refugees and to reconstruction projects in the Gaza Strip, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Meeting June 25 with members of ROACO, a coalition of funding agencies coordinated by the Congregation for Eastern Churches, the pope said he knows "the world's delicate economic situation" made it impossible to fulfill all the requests for help.

"In the spirit of faith, with competent analysis and the required sobriety" the Catholic Church must continue to demonstrate concretely its love for the suffering and its support for the Christian communities of the Middle East, he said.

Pope Benedict asked the funding agencies, which include the New York-based Catholic Near East Welfare Association, to give particular attention to refugees and migrants of the Eastern churches, to reconstruction in the Gaza Strip and to supporting seminaries.

Charity, he said, is "the measure, method and verification" of how well Christians are following Christ.

The Congregation for Eastern Churches and the coalition of funding agencies are responsible for assisting Eastern-rite churches around the world as well as the Latin-rite church in the Holy Land.

Pope Benedict told the meeting participants that his May trip to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories was marked by "many moments of grace when I was able to encourage and comfort the Catholic communities in the Holy Land, urging their members to persevere in their witness -- a witness filled with fidelity, celebration and at times great suffering."

"I renew my prayer and my appeal for no more war, no more violence, no more injustice," he said.

Pope Benedict pledged the entire church's closeness to the Christians of the Middle East and its support for all Eastern Catholics, who "with their pastors work to build peaceful coexistence with the faithful of other Christian confessions and different religions."

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