Pope sends 250,000 euros to Lebanon in sign of “fatherly closeness to people in serious difficulty”

In a gesture of solidarity with the people of Lebanon, Pope Francis has donated 250,000 euros as an initial help to assist the Church there in these moments of difficulty and suffering.The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced the Pope’s donation in a statement on Friday.The donation “is intended as a sign of His Holiness’s attention and closeness to the affected population and of his fatherly closeness to people in serious difficulty”, the statement reads.Pope Francis’s donation was sent through the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development to the Apostolic Nunciature of Beirut. It will serve to assist those affected by the explosion of 4 August.On Tuesday evening, a massive blast ripped through the port of Beirut and the surrounding areas, killing over 100 people, injuring thousands and causing damage to buildings, including churches and monasteries.Local authorities report that the explosion was caused by tons of ammonium nitrate sorted a warehouse in the port of Lebanon’s capital.