Reuters :
Pope Francis has sent about $70,000 in charity funds at his personal disposal to help with emergency relief in Bangladesh, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
The aid was sent to Bangladesh for continuing recovery assistance from Cyclone Yaas, which left tens of thousands of people homeless last May.
The pope also sent more than $341,000 from his personal fund to support relief efforts in Haiti and Vietnam.
A Vatican statement said $235,000 was going to Haiti to help in the aftermath of the August 14 earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people, and about $117,000 to Vietnam, where food supplies have been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Vatican said the sums were initial contributions and would be administered through its embassies in the countries. Much of the charity money at the pope’s personal disposal comes from Peter’s Pence, a fund to which Catholics can contribute for general or specific causes.
The fund amounted to $58,704,750 in 2020, according to a consolidated financial statement issued last month.
