'The Church in Japan will respond': Bishop

Damage from the magnitude 8.9 earthquake and ensuing tsunamis were preventing church officials in Japan from assessing needs, reports Catholic News Service.

Meanwhile Bishop Marcellinus Daiji Tani of Saitama said, “The Church in Japan will respond to the tragedy of the earthquake and tsunami that struck northern Japan with prayer and solidarity.”

He said, “We must take courage, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
A 76-year-old Catholic priest from Quebec, working as a missionary in Shiogama, is the sole Canadian victim of the 8.9-magnitude earthquake to date.

And, saying he was horrified by the images of the death and destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Pope Benedict XVI asked people to join him in praying for the victims.