(Vatican Radio) In Ecuador, at least 273 people were killed and nearly 3,000 others injured in the 7.8-magnitude quake that struck the country Saturday night. Officials say the death toll is likely to go even higher, as rescue efforts continue in a bid to reach the worst hit areas.At Sunday’s Regina Coeli, Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of the earthquake in Ecuador. He said, “May the help of God and of their brothers give them strength and support.”Listen to James Blears' report: The earthquake struck early Saturday evening. It's epicenter was 27kms to the southeast of the central coastal town of Musine in the Esmeraldas province.Initially a state of emergency was declared for six states, but President Rafael Correra, who has returned from an official visit to Italy, has extended it to envelop the entire country. The quake was so powerful that tremors have been felt in neighbouring Colombia and Peru. The town o...
(Vatican Radio) In Ecuador, at least 273 people were killed and nearly 3,000 others injured in the 7.8-magnitude quake that struck the country Saturday night. Officials say the death toll is likely to go even higher, as rescue efforts continue in a bid to reach the worst hit areas.
The earthquake struck early Saturday evening. It's epicenter was 27kms to the southeast of the central coastal town of Musine in the Esmeraldas province.
Initially a state of emergency was declared for six states, but President Rafael Correra, who has returned from an official visit to Italy, has extended it to envelop the entire country.
The quake was so powerful that tremors have been felt in neighbouring Colombia and Peru.
The town of Pedenales has been mostly flattened and the search for survivors there and elsewhere is underway.
More than three thousand five hundred police including National Guard and more than 10,000 troops have been airlifted and bused to the worst affected areas, to help with rescues, as time is vitally important.
International aid is already arriving and more is on its way.
Families, donors, and others gather with Bishop Erik Pohlmeier for the dedication of the "Precious Ones Baby Mausoleum" at the San Lorenzo Cemetery in St. Augustine, Florida, on April 23, 2024. / Credit: Fran Ruchalski/courtesy of the Archdiocese of St. AugustineCNA Staff, Apr 26, 2024 / 09:51 am (CNA).Families gathered with St. Augustine Bishop Erik Pohlmeier on a sunny Tuesday this week for the dedication of the "Precious Ones Baby Mausoleum" at the city's San Lorenzo Cemetery.Six years in the making, the 44,000-pound granite mausoleum is designed for babies lost at a young age through miscarriage, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or stillborn births. A brick walkway marked by a charcoal cross leads up to the brilliant white mausoleum, which is full of burial spaces that are ready to honor little ones. Miscarriages are common events, and women often suffer through them quietly, one 2018 study found. About 10% to 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, usually be...
Kennedy opened up to veteran EWTN News anchorman Raymond Arroyo about his family's strong faith growing up, how his faith helped him overcome drug addiction and how it impacts him in his day-to-day life in the travails of U.S. presidential politics. / Credit: EWTN News "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo" / ScreenshotWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 26, 2024 / 06:30 am (CNA).Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discussed the importance of his Catholic faith in his daily life, his plan to reduce abortions without federal restrictions, and his opposition to biological males playing in women's sports during an exclusive interview on "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo" Thursday night.Kennedy, son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, is running a vigorous independent campaign to be the next president of the United States. He launched an independent bid for the White House last October after initially challeng...
Pope Francis prays during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on April 24, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaACI Prensa Staff, Apr 25, 2024 / 16:10 pm (CNA).Asked during a new interview if he has any message for Vladimir Putin, the Russian president who instigated the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis stated that "a negotiated peace is better than an endless war."CBS News broadcast some excerpts April 24 from a new interview conducted by journalist Norah O'Donnell with Pope Francis at St. Martha House, the pontiff's residence in the Vatican.During the exchange, the full version of which will be released on May 19, the Holy Father reflected on world conflicts and especially on the suffering of children during wars.O'Donnell asked the Holy Father if he had any message for Vladimir Putin regarding Ukraine, to which the pontiff replied: "Please, countries at war, all of them... Stop the war. Seek to negotiate. Seek peace. A negotiated peace is better than an e...