Holy Father Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the Algerian people after the nation’s worst ever air disaster killed 257 people. In a telegramme signed by Vatican Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on behalf of His Holiness Pope Francis, the Pope said it was with great sadness that he received the news of the plane crash on Wednesday in Algiers and that he joins the people of Algeria in mourning.
As reported by vaticanews, The telegramme addressed to His Grace Archbishop of Algiers, Paul Desfarges read that “He (Pope Francis)is praying for all the families of the victims and for all the people affected by this tragedy. He asked the Lord to welcome those who have died in his peace and to comfort those who are seriously wounded.”
257 people were killed when the Algerian military plane came down just after taking off from an airport west of the capital. An inquiry is underway into the cause of the crash – Algeria’s worst-ever air disaster. The government has declared three days of national mourning.
