Spiritual closeness to those devastated by natural disasters in Africa and the Americas

Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the victims of the floods in the Eastern part of Libya. In a telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and addressed to the Apostolic Nuncio in Libya, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai, on Tuesday, 12 September, the Pope assured all those affected of his “prayers for the souls of the deceased and all who mourn their loss”. He also expressed his “spiritual closeness to the injured, to those who fear for their missing loved ones, and to the emergency personnel providing rescue and relief assistance”. A few days before, on Saturday, 9 September, the Pope had sent a telegram to the religious authorities of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, following the heavy rains that left “a trail of destruction and death in their wake”. The Pope assured them of his prayers “for the eternal repose of the victims” and for “the homeless families”, and he expressed his hope that “the reconstruction of the affected areas will take place quickly and effectively”.