The bishops of the five West Midland dioceses of Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Lichfield and Worcester have today expressed their sympathy to the Pakistani community in the region for the devastation by flooding of their homeland, and pledged the continuing practical, financial and prayer support of their churches.

The bishops' message reads as follows:

The Floods in Pakistan and their Aftermath - A Message of Sympathy and Support from the Bishops of the Church of England in the West Midlands

As Bishops in the West Midlands we are very conscious that the Pakistani community of all Faiths in our region is bearing a heavy burden of distress following the unprecedented flooding in Pakistan earlier in the summer.

As we write to you many will be coming towards the end of their Eid celebrations. We can only begin to imagine the poignancy of such celebrations amid the sorrow as so many families are deeply touched by the misery of the last seven weeks in Pakistan. 

With the waters continuing to devastate floodplains in the south of the country, we want to assure the whole community both of our prayerful concern and of our ongoing pledge to encourage financial assistance.

This terrible humanitarian disaster has touched so many in Britain, Christians as well as Muslims, and we have witnessed strong sympathy for all those affected directly or indirectly by the floods as we visit our parishes and communities. When the media moves on from this crisis to the next, be assured that the churches of the West Midlands will continue to remember those who have lost lives, homes and livelihoods. We will continue to pray for wisdom for all those in leadership; governmental, non-governmental, international and local, as they seek to bring hope and alleviate the suffering of so many people in Pakistan. We will continue to encourage financial and other support to help address the most urgent needs of food, water, accommodation and health for all in need.

May you know the compassion of God amid these great adversities.

Yours sincerely

The Bishop of Birmingham (The Right Reverend David Urquhart) and the Bishop of Aston (The Right Reverend Andrew Watson) - Diocese of Birmingham

The Bishop of Coventry (The Right Reverend Dr. Christopher Cocksworth) and the Bishop of Warwick (The Right Reverend John Stroyan) - Diocese of Coventry

The Bishop of Hereford (The Right Reverend Anthony Priddis) and the Bishop of Ludlow (The Right Reverend Alistair Magowan) - Diocese of Hereford

The Bishop of Lichfield (The Right Reverend Jonathan Gledhill) and the Bishop of Shrewsbury (The Right Reverend Mark Rylands) and the Bishop of Wolverhampton (The Right Reverend Clive Gregory) - Diocese of Lichfield

The Bishop of Worcester (The Right Reverend Dr. John Inge) and the Bishop of Dudley (The Right Reverend David Walker) - Diocese of Worcester

The Bishop of Ebbsfleet (The Right Reverend Andrew Burnham)  - Provincial Episcopal Visitor

September 2010