In collaboration with Caritas Italiana and Caritas Syria and in partnership with non-governmental organizations and religious Orders in Syria, the Pontifical Council for the Family is promoting the charitable initiative “The families of the world for the families of Syria,” on the occasion of the Pilgrimage of the Families to the Tomb of Peter with Pope Francis, on Saturday and Sunday, 26 and 27 October 2013. From St. Peter's Square, where the world gathered in a prayer vigil with the Holy Father for peace in Syria, in the Middle East and throughout the world, on September 7th, a great embrace of the families of the world will reach out to support Syrian families in their difficulties, thanks to the fundraising campaign for the delivery of humanitarian aid, food and health assistance to the sick, children and the elderly, through six distribution centers (in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, in the coastal Region, in Jazira and Horan), and for temporary housing for displaced families.

The project will last one year and benefit over 5,400 families (20,000 people).
 

The legal and administrative leader of the project is Caritas Italiana, which allocates, on its own 200,000 euros of direct financing. The total amount of the project is estimated at roughly one million two hundred thousand euros.
 

Donations can be made as follows: 1 euro by sending an SMS or 2 euros by calling from landline number 45594, or, for any amount of more than 2 €: by payment to C/C post n. 347013 (from Italy only), by bank transfer to C/C Unicredit (Via Taranto 49 - Rome), IBAN: IT 88 U 02008 05206 000011063119; by an online credit card payment, on the site www.caritasitaliana.it.

On Thursday, October 24th, at 11.30 a.m., in the Sala Pio XI – Piazza San Calisto 16 – 00153 Rome, there will be a Press Conference during which the project “The families of the world for the families of Syria”, organized by the Pontifical Council for the Family with Caritas Italiana and Caritas Syria, will be presented. The Speakers will be the President of our Dicastery, Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia; the Director of the Caritas Italiana, Msgr. Francesco Soddu; and the Head of Caritas Italiana’s International Area, Dr. Paul Beccegato.