Pope Francis on Thursday offered prayers for the victims of a deadly nightclub collapse in the Dominican Republic that killed at least 200 people.
As of Thursday morning, a reported 218 people have been killed and more than 200 others injured after the ceiling of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed early Tuesday morning local time during a merengue concert, media reported.
The Holy Father said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragic events in the Dominican Republic’s capital city and offered his “prayers for the eternal repose of the deceased” in an April 10 telegram addressed to Archbishop Francisco Ozoria Acosta of Santo Domingo.
“His Holiness also extends his heartfelt condolences to the relatives of the deceased, together with his expressions of consolation, his heartfelt concern and his wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin read.
While blessing the efforts of hospital and emergency crews caring for the injured and recovering the bodies of the dead from the rubble, the pope also invoked the help of the Mother of God for those mourning the loss of loved ones.
The pope granted “through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, consoler of the afflicted, the comforting apostolic blessing as a sign of hope in the risen Lord.”
On Wednesday, the archbishop of Santo Domingo called for solidarity with the families affected by the tragedy in a video message: “We pledge our prayers for those who have died and we also want to join in with all the collaboration of many brothers and sisters, especially by assisting, donating blood, and trying to remedy this situation for the injured,” the prelate said.
Dominican Republic authorities stated Wednesday evening that it is too early to determine the cause for the iconic nightclub’s roof collapse and they will launch an investigation once the recovery of bodies has concluded, the Associated Press reported.
This article was originally published on Catholic News Agency.
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Kristina Millare is a freelance journalist with a professional communications background in the humanitarian aid and development sector, news journalism, entertainment marketing, politics and government, business and entrepreneurship.
