Pope Sends Condolence Message Following Plane Crash in French Alps

Invokes Divine Blessings of Strength, Consolation to Victims’ Loved Ones

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Pope Francis has sent his heartfelt condolences to the families of victims killed in a deadly plane crash in the French Alps yesterday that claimed at least 150 lives including children.

The telegram was sent yesterday on behalf of the Holy Father by the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to Bishop Jean-Philippe Nault of Digne. 

Yesterday morning, Germanwings flight 9525, an Airbus A320, on its way from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, crashed in the French Alps. There were no survivors.

In the telegram, the Pope expresses how upon hearing of the flight which claimed many lives in the French region, including children, he immediately shared in the grief of the families. He assured them of his closeness.

The Holy Father also commended those killed into God’s mercy, so they are welcomed “into His bosom and light,” and expressed his deep affection for all those suffering.

The message concluded with Pope Francis praying the Lord grant His strength and comfort to those suffering, and imparting God’s abundant blessings.

Owned by Germany’s main carrier Lufthansa, the low-cost airline Germanwings, until this point, had an excellent safety record. According to media sources, the cause of the crash is still unknown.

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Deborah Castellano Lubov

Deborah Castellano Lubov is Senior Vatican & Rome Correspondent for ZENIT; author of 'The Other Francis' ('L'Altro Francesco') featuring interviews with those closest to the Pope and preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (currently published in 5 languages); Deborah is also NBC & MSNBC Vatican Analyst. She often covers the Pope's travels abroad, often from the Papal Flight (including for historic trips such as to Abu Dhabi and Japan & Thailand), and has also asked him questions on the return-flight press conference on behalf of the English-speaking press present. Lubov has done much TV & radio commentary, including for NBC, Sky, EWTN, BBC, Vatican Radio, AP, Reuters and more. She also has contributed to various books on the Pope and has written for various Catholic publications. For 'The Other Francis': http://www.gracewing.co.uk/page219.html or https://www.amazon.com/Other-Francis-Everything-They-about/dp/0852449348/

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