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(ANS – Vatican City) – On the occasion of the Ist anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, Benedict XVI expresses his closeness to the victims of that tragedy. As he announced last Sunday after the Angelus, the President of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”, Cardinal Robert Sarah was sent to Haiti to be the spokesman and sign of the Pope’s solidarity. In Rome Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State will preside at a commemorative Mass.

In the name of the Pope, Cardinal Robert Sarah, accompanied by Bishop Segundo Tejado Muñoz, Undersecretary, will read the Pope’s message on 12 January during a Mass at which he will preside in front of the old Cathedral of Port-au-Prince which collapsed as a result of the earthquake.

Cardinal Sarah will also bring in the Pope’s name a financial contribution to the reconstruction: 800,000 dollars for rebuilding the schools and 400,000 for rebuilding the churches.

Yesterday the Cardinal visited various religious communities in the city of Léogane, laying the first stone  of the “École Notre Dame des Anges”. Today he will meet the President of the Republic of Haiti, René Préval and will visit the displaced persons’ camp in Parc Acra, where he will celebrate Mass.

Before he leaves on Thursday 13, the Cardinal will also meet the Bishops and the  seminarians of the country, the Caritas representatives, and those of other international voluntary organisations. “The visit,” the communiqué of the Vatican Press Office states, “will also have the objective to thank all those who collaborated in the huge work of the emergency phase and to renew the Church`s commitment to the reconstruction, urging a new phase of charitable commitment."

At 16.30 tomorrow (GMT+1), in the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone SDB  Vatican Secretary of State will preside at a commemorative Mass in the presence of the Ambassador of Haiti to the Holy See who has organised the event. Invited to attend are all the Diplomatic  Corps accredited to the Holy See and other Diplomats present in Rome.

Published 11/01/2011