The South Korean bishops' conference is readying relief funds to send to victims of the recent earthquakes that devastated parts of Japan and Ecuador.
"I would like to express our profound sorrow and sympathy for the tragic effects of earthquakes in Kumamoto, Japan, and pray for all the victims and their families," wrote Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-joong of Gwangju, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, in an April 18 letter to Bishop Miyahara Ryoji of Fukuoka.
Archbishop Hee-joong also sent a separate message to Archbishop Fausto Travez, primate of Ecuador, offering prayers for the victims and their families affected by a deadly earthquake that struck April 16.
"As a sign of fraternal love, the Catholic Church in Korea is praying and trying to support people of Ecuador to overcome the aftermath of this deadly earthquake," wrote Archbishop Hee-joong.
The death toll in Ecuador has surpassed 500 with hundreds still missing. In Japan, at least 48 people have died after two powerful earthquakes and days of aftershocks rattled the country.