Pope sends 25 000 euro to North Bohemia stricken by floods

Northern Bohemia has been stricken by several sudden floods in last 2 weeks. Pope Benedict XVI. will contribute a sum of 25 000 euro to people in need in the diocese Litoměřice. Mons. Dominik Duka OP, Prague Archbishop and President of the Czech Bishops´ Conference during his visit of the affected region promised a financial help of Archbishopric of Prague (10 000 euro) and of the Czech Bishops´ Conference (4 000 euro).

Prague/Litoměřice: Yesterday August 17, Apostolic nunciature in Prague has informed Mons. Jan Baxant, bishop of Litoměřice that Pope Benedict XVI. will personally contribute a financial gift of 25 000 euro to areas stricken by recent floods in North Bohemia. Holy Father reacts on the request of bishop Baxant, who addressed him a letter on Thursday last week. Financial gift of the Pope will be distributed among the people in need through the Diocesan Caritas Litoměřice.

'In our latitude it is an unprecedential case', emphasized general vicar of the diocese Litoměřice  P. Stanislav Přibyl. From this sign we can see that church does not stand apart from the uncontrolled catastrophe, but that from the beginning it has been in the course of events and has been helping people in need. It is not a help of the church to the church, this financial help is dedicated to the people stricken with floods.  

Mons. Dominik Duka OP, Prague Archbishop and President of the Czech Bishops´ Conference who visited the areas stricken by the floods in the diocese Litoměřice on August 13, 2010, thanked and praised the Caritas Litoměřice for its unremitting efforts in the help of people in need. He met Růžena Kavková, the director of the Diocesan Caritas Litoměřice and got himself acquainted with the system of providing help, with the consequences of the floods and their successive removing. He also expressed big appreciation to the work of the Army, Fire-brigade and  Integrated rescue team of the Czech Republic and to volunteers. During his visit he promised a financial help of Archbishopric of Prague in the sum of 10 000 euro and of the Czech Bishops´ Conference in the amount of 4 000 euro.

Further donators that have already contributed to people in need affected by floods in North Bohemia are Renovabis - Fund of German Catholics with the sum of 30 000 euro and Bishopric of České Budějovice in the amount of 800 euros. Beside of these financial gifts 142 253 euro have been collected by now on the account of the Caritas at Raiffeisenbank (account number: 5015003434/5500, variable symbol 444, IBAN: CZ3755000000005015003434, SWIFT / BIC: B.I.C. RZBCCZPP).

Two regions Liberec and Ustí nad Labem in Northern Bohemia that belong to the diocese Litoměřice have been affected by several sudden floods in the last two weeks. According to the Caritas Litoměřice in both regions there have been 115 municipalities stricken by the recent floods, damages are approximately worth of 200 – 240 million euro, there have been 2600 households flooded out and 55 houses have to be torn down.