ASIA/HOLY LAND - Caritas gathers stories of hope from Gaza

Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Benedict XVI's visit has given renewed strength and hope to the people of the Holy Land. This is what has been observed by Caritas Jerusalem, which continues carrying out an important work of assistance and support for poor families who are victims of the conflict and living in economic difficulty on account of the growing unemployment throughout the Holy Land.
Caritas is also working on the front line in providing help for the people of the Gaza Strip (see Fides 24/3/2009), offering 1.4 million Euros' worth in supplies, mainly food, medical supplies, and educational materials, reaching our to the nearly 10,000 families that live in Gaza in conditions of extreme difficulty.
Caritas has collected stories of hope from Gaza that shed light on the situations of mourning, shortage, and suffering. Certain benefits have been registered above all through the prosthesis provided by the “Polio Center” run by Caritas. Many people mutilated in the war have found the chance of living a normal life and have been able to return to their normal daily activities, feeling once again useful in their own families and in society.
In addition, on a psychological and moral level – which are especially important for the rebuilding and progress of any human society – the words of the Holy Father Benedict XVI assuring of his prayer and closeness to all the suffering, bringing a message of peace for Israelis and Palestinians, has had a very strong impact on the people, regardless of their religion. The moral authority of the Holy Father, which is universally appreciated has been a comfort to the Palestinian people suffering in the conflict. All hope that the international community will respond to the messages of Benedict XVI, opening an authentic peace process that brings reconciliation, stability, and harmony to the Holy Land. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/05/2009)