‘Clergy Are Going Looking for People’: Venezuelan Church Leaders Rush to Rescue After Deadly Earthquakes
As rescue teams continue to dig through mountains of rubble in search of survivors, Christian leaders in Venezuela have emerged as first responders on the frontlines of one of the nation’s deadliest natural disasters. Two devastating earthquakes, striking less than a minute apart on Wednesday, have claimed at least 920 lives, injured 3,360 others, and left tens of thousands missing. “Clergy are going looking for people and supporting those they find,” Nathalie Raffray from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) told Premier Christian News, describing the chaotic aftermath where “everywhere there’s collapsed buildings, displaced families, entire communities seeking shelter in the streets. The priests are talking to them, not just Catholics, anyone who needs help.” The Catholic charity has already dispatched an initial €100,000 (£86,410) in emergency aid and is working with local partners to support relief efforts, as church leaders offer both practical assistance and pastoral comfort in a nation grappling with unimaginable loss.
Communications have been crippled by power and internet outages, while water supply disruptions add to the growing humanitarian crisis. Bishop Pablo Modesto González Pérez of La Guaira Diocese described the scene from a stadium parking lot—where his community now shelters—after the seminary suffered extensive wall collapses and two nearby buildings crumbled to the ground. “Thank God there have been no serious problems with the priests, although several churches have suffered significant damage,” he told ACN. In Caracas, Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo confirmed fatalities in his parish, but noted that the priest had been “miraculously saved” even as the church and his home collapsed around him. “The Church remains with the people,” said Luis Vildoso, ACN’s project manager for Venezuela. “It comforts those who mourn, accompanies families searching for loved ones, and opens its doors to all who need shelter.” As the death toll continues to rise and the full scale of the disaster unfolds, Venezuela’s church leaders are proving that faith is not just about words—it is about showing up when it matters most.
