A Catholic charity is launching an emergency appeal to help the Church and is calling for prayers after two back-to-back earthquakes devastated Venezuela’s capital.

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is opening a fund and stands ready to help after earthquakes of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude hit an area west of Caracas at 6pm local time (11pm GMT) on Wednesday, June 24.

The number of deaths and injuries is currently unknown as rescuers search through the rubble after multiple buildings, including churches, collapsed.

ACN is in close contact with leading project partners and is on standby to provide any help that is needed.

Marco Mencaglia, director of projects at ACN, stressed that Venezuela has been a priority country for the charity for many years.

He added: “The priority now is the people. The Church is doing what it has always done in times of crisis: opening its doors, accompanying those who have lost everything and bringing hope where fear has settled. We ask all our benefactors and friends to keep Venezuela in their prayers.”

ACN will work closely with Church leaders to assess options for help, which may include emergency support as Catholic leaders open their buildings for people made homeless by the quake, as well as, in due course, repairs to churches and Mass stipends for priests ministering in Caracas and beyond.

Leading clergy have already contacted ACN, providing urgent updates in the wake of the catastrophe, with powerful tremors felt across the country.

Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo of Caracas said he toured the affected parishes for hours to assess the situation and confirmed that there had been fatalities in different places due to the collapse of buildings and walls.

He told ACN that in Ñaraulí part of a church roof fell in, adding: “The church and the parish house of Pagüita collapsed. The parish priest was miraculously saved.”

The archbishop said the most affected churches were Caracas Cathedral and about a dozen other parish buildings, adding that “communication difficulties caused by power and internet cuts still make it impossible to know the full extent of the damage”.

Bishop Pablo Modesto González Pérez of the Diocese of La Guaira told ACN: “We are without electricity and we have all been affected. In the seminary, many walls collapsed. Now we are in the car park of the sports stadium, waiting for the firefighters to evaluate the building to find out what we are going to do.

“Thank God there have been no serious problems with the priests, although several churches have suffered significant damage. Two buildings in front of the seminary collapsed.

“We have just returned from visiting Ciudad Chávez, where ACN supported the construction of the church. There is a population of about 20,000 people, where most of the housing blocks have suffered serious damage. Thank God they did not collapse.”

Venezuela was celebrating a national holiday and many people were at home when the quakes struck.

Archbishop Biord said the human toll, as yet unknown, could have been much worse: “Thank God it was a day off. If it had been a weekday, with schools, offices and shops open, the number of victims would have been much higher.”

Mr Mencaglia concluded: “As communications are restored and technical inspections progress, we will be able to better understand the needs of the Church and the communities it serves.

“On the part of ACN, we are committed to continue to accompany the Church in these difficult times with our help and prayers.”

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