Vatican City, Oct 7, 2016 / 05:39 am
After Hurricane Matthew killed more than 300 people and left thousands more homeless, Pope Francis has written a telegram assuring his prayer and spiritual closeness to all those affected by the disaster.
"Learning of the devastation wrought by hurricane Matthew, which has caused numerous victims and considerable damage, His Holiness Pope Francis expresses his sadness and assures his prayer for all those who have lost a loved one," the Oct. 7 telegram read.
Signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and addressed to the president of the Haitian Bishops Conference Cardinal Chibly Langlois, the letter expressed the Pope's "deep sympathy in these painful circumstances."
A category three storm with winds racing at 120mph, the hurricane is the most powerful Caribbean storm in a decade and has devastated Haiti, which is still reeling from the catastrophic earthquake that crushed much of the country in 2010.