Christians and Buddhists to help tsunami victims
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Hong Kong's various religious groups are appealing to their respective communities to help tsunami victims in south and south-east Asia.
A day after the event, the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong channelled HK$ 1,000,000 ( 95,000 or US$ 128,000) to the victims through the local branch of Caritas Internationalis.
The Catholic Diocese made a special appeal to the faithful for donations; mass collection on the coming weekend will be reserved for emergency relief.
The faithful are also urged to pray for the victims, their families and relatives, and for those engaged in emergency relief services. The Diocese itself is inviting them to come to the Catholic Cathedral for an evening prayer on January 1, 2005.
Buddhist groups have placed ads in local papers appealing to the public for prayers and money for tsunami victims. Buddhist schools have started raising funds. Po Lin Monastery in Lantau, one of Hong Kong's largest monasteries known for its huge Buddha, donated HK$ 3,000,000 ( 280,000 or US$ 375,000) to help the victims.
Hong Kong's Salvation Army dispatched a delegation to Sri Lanka to determine victims' needs and bring them some comfort.
The Hong Kong Christian Council, an umbrella organisation for local protestant churches and the Orthodox Church, called for prayers and donations. It has already donated some HK$ 200,000 ( 19,000 or US$ 26,000) through the "Action By Churches Together", an international Protestant relief agency. (WKC)
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