Peruʼs bishops offered prayers and expressed their solidarity with the victims of an earthquake that struck Saturday night in the Junín region — located in the countryʼs central Andean zone — leaving at least five people dead, more than twenty injured, and hundreds affected.
The earthquake, which occurred around 9:00 p.m., was centered in the district of Chongos Bajo, in the Chupaca province of the Junín region — situated in Peruʼs central Andes, some 193 miles east of Lima — according to the National Civil Defense Institute (INDECI, by its Spanish acronym).
“We share in the grief of the families mourning their loved ones, offering our prayers for the eternal rest of the deceased, and we ask the Lord to grant everyone strength, comfort, and hope,” the bishops stated in the aftermath of the disaster.
“We express our spiritual closeness to all those affected, to those who have lost their homes, and to those generously participating in rescue, care, and relief efforts,” said Bishop Carlos García Camader, president of the Peruvian Bishops Conference.
After encouraging Peruvians to show solidarity with those affected, the bishops urge them not to lose hope and pray “that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope, may intercede for all those affected and accompany our beloved people of Junín.”
Junín’s 5.1 magnitude earthquake
Rescue operations involving the police, firefighters, and the Peruvian army are ongoing, and authorities are assessing the damage — particularly in the Pumpunya area of the Chongos Bajo district, where approximately 50 homes have been affected.
In an interview with Radio Programas del Perú (RPP, by its Spanish acronym), Hernando Tavera, president of the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP, by its Spanish acronym), stated that the extent of the destruction in this area is due to the fragility of the houses, most of which were built using substandard materials.
“When structures are built according to standards and proper engineering, they obviously yield better results than those constructed using local materials,” which makes them prone to easy collapse, Tavera explained.
So far, the IGP has recorded 12 aftershocks. The strongest measured 3.7 and 3.4 in magnitude.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Luis Enrique Arroyo Sánchez headed to the Chongos Bajo district alongside Defense Minister Amadeo Flores and INDECI chief Luis Enrique Vásquez “to oversee the response to the 5.1-magnitude earthquake and coordinate assistance for the affected population,” according to the Office of the Prime Minister.
Historic cross collapses
As a result of the earthquake, the historic Cani Cruz —known as the Lord of Cani Cruz — collapsed. The cross, erected in 1534 and located in the main square of Chongos Bajo, is one of the regionʼs oldest religious monuments, according to local media reports.
Carved from limestone and featuring reliefs of the crucified Christ and the Virgin Mary, in 1990 it was declared national cultural heritage site, alongside the main church of Chongos Bajo and the El Copón Chapel.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Sign up for the EWTN News Email and Stay Connected
Share this article
Facts Only
* An earthquake struck the Junín region on Saturday night.
* At least five people died, more than twenty were injured, and hundreds were affected.
* The earthquake was centered in the Chongos Bajo district of the Chupaca province, Junín region, Peru.
* Rescue operations involve the police, firefighters, and the Peruvian army.
* Approximately 50 homes in the Pumpunya area of Chongos Bajo were affected.
* The Geophysical Institute of Peru recorded 12 aftershocks, with the strongest measuring 3.7 and 3.4 magnitude.
* The destruction is linked to the fragility of houses built with substandard materials.
* The historic Cani Cruz cross collapsed following the earthquake.
* Prime Minister Luis Enrique Arroyo Sánchez coordinated assistance for the affected population.
Executive Summary
Bishops from Peru offered prayers and solidarity following an earthquake that struck the Junín region, resulting in at least five deaths, over twenty injuries, and hundreds of affected people. The event was centered in the Chongos Bajo district of the Chupaca province in the central Andean zone, approximately 193 miles east of Lima. Religious leaders expressed shared grief, praying for the deceased and asking for strength and comfort for those affected by the disaster and those involved in relief efforts.
Authorities are conducting rescue operations, with police, firefighters, and the Peruvian army involved in damage assessment, particularly in the Pumpunya area. Experts noted that the destruction was attributed partly to the use of substandard materials in construction. The Geophysical Institute of Peru recorded twelve aftershocks, with the strongest being 3.7 and 3.4 magnitude. Prime Minister Luis Enrique Arroyo Sánchez coordinated the response effort alongside defense officials and INDECI leadership. Furthermore, a historic religious monument, the Cani Cruz cross, collapsed as a result of the quake.
Full Take
The narrative frames a natural disaster through interwoven themes of spiritual response, infrastructural failure, and social vulnerability. The immediate reaction from religious authorities centers on providing spiritual solace and encouraging hope, which serves to manage acute psychological distress in the community. Simultaneously, the scientific explanation provided by the Geophysical Institute links physical damage directly to poor building practices, shifting responsibility toward material standards. This juxtaposition of divine petition and engineering assessment highlights a tension between existential suffering and tangible, solvable causes.
The focus on the collapse of a historic monument like the Cani Cruz introduces a layer of cultural significance; the destruction is not just physical but also symbolic, impacting regional identity. The pattern suggests that in times of acute crisis, communities simultaneously seek meaning through spiritual frameworks while grappling with material realities governed by socioeconomic disparities (substandard materials). This framing allows for an acknowledgement of human suffering while subtly underscoring systemic failures in governance and construction oversight.
What assumptions about the relationship between faith, science, and state action are embedded in this immediate post-disaster reporting? If we observe how spiritual leadership mobilizes community resilience alongside official coordination, what is being deliberately privileged over purely logistical or material assessments of the damage? Does emphasizing hope function as a necessary social mechanism for recovery, or does it risk obscuring more urgent demands for accountability regarding building codes and disaster preparedness? What are the long-term implications for trusting institutional narratives during catastrophes?