The Pontifical organization Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has announced that they are providing 465,000 Euros in vital support for priests and religious in the island nation so that they can continue their essential ministry during the crisis. Sri Lankans await a new president this week, following the ousting of Gotabaya Rajapaksa on July 15 amid economic meltdown and protests.
The new package consists of Mass stipends – which provide priests with a basic income – and subsistence aid for catechists, sisters, and other members of religious orders carrying out essential pastoral work in Sri Lanka.
The debt-ridden Asian country, which has plunged into an unprecedented economic and financial crisis due to gross mismanagement of the economy and widespread corruption, is facing crippling shortages of fuel, food and medicines depriving the people of basic needs and livelihoods.
“People can afford virtually nothing. Our priests and religious are badly affected by the crisis”, he said. “There are very long queues of people trying to buy fuel, gas, powdered milk, sugar, rice, medicines. Many people have lost their jobs, and prices have risen astronomically”, Bishop Mendis explained. With inflation having soared above 54 percent last month, food prices are now 80 percent higher than this time last year. According to the Srilankan central bank, inflation could further rise to 70% in the coming months.