The Catholic Weekly 16 August 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 5 16, August, 2020 hospital to find his sons, he said if he hadn’t found them he would have collapsed and died. “Thank God Patrick pulled through.” The Moawads have a large extended family in Beirut. Numerous relatives rushed to provide aid and assistance from the first moments despite sustainingdamage to their own homes, businesses or places of work, he said. Mr Moawad said he was certain the disaster would not have happened if the nation’s political leaders “were honest and working for the people”. “The negligence and cor- ruption of what I call the polit- ical mafia is really dishearten- ing,” he said. He said the faith of the Ma- ronite and Melkite commu- nities in his home country is “very, very strong” including among the younger genera- tions. “The Christians in Lebanon have very strong faith in the in- tercession of St Charbel, in Our Lady of Lebanon, in St Elias,” he said. “But how long can their faith support them? “So many of them want to leave Lebanon, they don’t have any hope anymore.” FROM DIRE TO DISASTER P14 BISHOP TARABAY’S APPEAL The Maronite Eparch of Australia, Bishop An- toine-Charbel Tarabay OLM, has launched an appeal to help the shell- shocked people of Beirut. The appeal was set up via the Maronite charitable organisation, Maronites on Mission Australia. All funds raised will go to urgent medical sup- plies, food packages and home repairs. Donations will be dis- tributed in collaboration with charitable organi- sations in Beirut and can be made via www.ma- ronitesonmission.com Aussie organisations who can help AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED APPEAL The Australian office of the pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need has launched a national emer- gency appeal for Lebanon. Funds will go to- wards, food, medicine and spiritual needs. The appeal is endorsed and supported by both Maronite eparch Bishop Tarabay and Bishop Rob- ert Rabbat of the Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Aus- tralia and New Zealand. To donate go to: www. aidtochurch.org/leba- non or call ACN on 1800 101 201 during business hours, 8am-5pm, AEST. CARITAS APPEAL Caritas Australia has pro- vided an initial $50,000 emergency relief for food, hygiene and medical kits. “The most urgent needs are food, health and shel- ter”, said Kirsty Robertson, Caritas Australia’s CEO. “The situation is dire. Parts of Beirut are uninhabita- ble”, she said. “We pray for the people of Beirut, wider Lebanon and the Leba- nese community here in Australia.” Donations to Caritas Australia’s Mid- dle East Regional Appeal can be made at www.cari- tas.org.au/lebanon or by calling 1800 024 413. Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, head of the Maronite Church in A ustralia, holds a crucifix during Saturday’s Mass. PATRICK J LEE Raymond and Louise Merhi hold a photo of Raymond’s brother Jo- seph, aged 50, who died in the blast on 4 August in Beirut. PHOTOS: PATRICK J LEE A volunteer gathers supplies in Beirut to be distributed to people affected by the previous day’s explosions PHOTO: CNS/AZIZ TAHER, REUTERS BEIRUT BLAST