Vatican City, Aug 21, 2008 / 10:00 am
The Holy Father sent a telegram to Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid and President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, in which he expressed his condolences and offered prayers of support for the victims and families of the Spanair jetliner accident which occurred yesterday at the Barajas Airport in Madrid.
The telegram, signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, noted that Pope Benedict “offers his full support for the eternal rest of the deceased.”
The accident has reportedly taken the lives of 153 passengers, leaving another 19 injured.
“Likewise, I beg of our Lord to send the condolences of his Holiness Benedict XVI to the families of the deceased, along with his spiritual closeness and desire for a quick and full recovery of the injured in this unfortunate accident,” the telegram read.