The archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, and the bishops of Ceske Budejovice, Litomerice and Plzen turned to the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need with their plea.
Cardinal Vlk said that in his archdiocese alone, 30 parishes churches, monasteries and other church buildings have been destroyed or heavily damaged by floodwaters.
In particular, he referred to the school center run by Salesian nuns in a poorer quarter of Prague, which was completely flooded. Cardinal Vlk has formed a task force of priests to work round the clock caring for victims.
In Romania, following a severe drought in July, extensive areas in six dioceses are now struggling in the aftermath of disastrous floods.
Aid to the Church in Need responded with an emergency fund of 50,000 euro for the Czech Republic and Romania. The charity also plans to help rebuild destroyed or damaged church buildings in these countries. It asks its benefactors to make a contribution toward these efforts.
