07 August 2018, The Tablet

Pope expresses sorrow following second Indonesian earthquake


The disaster comes a week after another powerful earthquake killed more than a dozen people.


Pope expresses sorrow following second Indonesian earthquake

A woman walks past debris from a collapsed wall Aug. 6 following an earthquake on Lombok
CNS photo/Ahmad Subaidi, Antara Foto via Reuters

Pope Francis has expressed his sorrow and promised his prayers after at least 91 people were killed in a magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Lombok Island in Indonesia on 5 August.

The disaster comes a week after another powerful earthquake killed more than a dozen people.

Cardinal Parolin said the pope was praying "especially for the repose of the deceased, the healing of the injured and the consolation of all who grieve the loss of their loved ones."

"In offering encouragement to the civil authorities and those involved in the search and rescue efforts as they assist the victims of this disaster, His Holiness willingly invokes upon the people of Indonesia divine blessings of consolation and strength," the message said.

The country's National Disaster Mitigation Agency said more than 200 people were injured in the latest quake, which also struck the neighboring tourist island of Bali and damaged thousands of buildings and forced thousands of people to flee their homes.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, has also expressed his “deepest sympathy” and offered prayers.

He Tweeted: “I offer all those affected by the recent tragic earthquakes in #Indonesia my prayers and deepest sympathy, especially those who mourn. May God grant them strength.”

Among the damaged buildings was St. Mary Immaculate Church in the West Nusa Tenggara provincial capital of Mataram.

"The quake was stronger than before. The church ceiling fell down, but the church's walls remain intact," Father Laurensius Maryono, a priest at the parish, told ucanews.com on 6 August.


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