Pope Francis donates ‚¬50,000 to Greek island Lesbos' earthquake relief

Pope Francis has donated €50,000 to the stricken Greek island of Lesbos after it was hit by a powerful earthquake last month.

One person died and around 800 displaced by the 6.3 quake which destroyed homes and infrastructure from the Turkish Aegean province, Izmir, to the Greek capital, Athens, on June 12.

The pontiff's donation comes after he visited refugees on the island in 2016, bringing 12 back with him to the Vatican. Those selected were chosen at random, including six children, after they had their homes bombed in wartorn Syria. 

Lesbos is currently home to about 3,500 migrants and refugees awaiting the results of their asylum applications.

Within days of receiving a full report on the scale of the damage, Pope Francis made the donation, according to Catholic News Agency.

Archbishop Nikolaos Printezis, Bishop of Naxos, Andros, Tinos and Mykonos said it was a marker of his closeness to the people affected by the tragedy.

A Vatican representative is expected to make a trip to the island in the coming days to assess the damage and deliver the money. 

No damage was reported to the refugee camps on Lesbos the nearby island of Chios. 

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management, said the epicentre was at a shallow depth of seven kilometers (four miles), under the sea between the Greek and Turkish coast. 

News
A brief history of Christmas bans
A brief history of Christmas bans

These days, Christmas is hard to miss and nearly impossible to avoid. But at various times it has been banned in different countries, including Britain. This is the story …

Organisers of Christmas evangelistic campaign thrilled with impact
Organisers of Christmas evangelistic campaign thrilled with impact

Organisers of this year's Shine Your Light Christmas evangelistic outreach have been "overwhelmed" by the response from local churches.

Reach out to others, says Salvation Army, as 1.8 million Brits set to spend Christmas Day alone
Reach out to others, says Salvation Army, as 1.8 million Brits set to spend Christmas Day alone

People are being urged to reach out after polling suggested 1.8 million UK adults will spend Christmas Day alone, even though they do not want to.

Another Christmas in hardship for Gaza church
Another Christmas in hardship for Gaza church

For Christians sheltering in the Holy Family parish in Gaza, there will be few comforts this Christmas.