Vatican City, Dec 13, 2021 / 03:50 am
Pope Francis prayed on Monday that God would give gifts of strength and perseverance to rescue workers and all those affected by tornadoes which struck the South and Midwest of the United States Dec. 10-11.
“The Holy Father was saddened to learn of the devastating impact of the tornadoes that struck the central and southern United States in these days,” said a Dec. 13 telegram to Archbishop José H. Gómez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. bishops’ conference.
The message, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said Pope Francis “offers heartfelt prayers that Almighty God will grant eternal peace to those who have died, comfort to those who mourn their loss, and strength to all those affected by this immense tragedy.”
A series of tornadoes and storms in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee caused power outages, destroyed homes and businesses, and killed dozens of people.