Donations for the victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria were organized at holy masses in all the parishes and monasteries of the Vrhbosna Archdiocese in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday, Anadolu Agency reported.

Numerous Christians who attended Sunday mass at Sarajevo's Sacred Heart Cathedral left money in a box placed in the church with the inscription: “Your gift for Turkey and Syria. Thank you.”

The sermon was focused on the challenges the world is facing today, including the war in Ukraine, the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, as well as numerous other challenges, and it was stressed that hate speech at such a difficult time is unacceptable.

“As we express our human sympathy and spiritual closeness to all those affected in any way by that tragedy, and we raise our prayers to God for the souls of the dead and for all those who mourn for them, we also want to join in providing concrete help to the Turkish and Syrian people,” the Archdiocese said.

The funds collected in the parishes will be delivered to the Economic Office of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosnia by February 25 and will then be sent to those in need in Turkey and Syria through Caritas BiH.