Pope Francis Prays for Victims of the Washington Plane Crash with Over 60 People Presumed Dead


Pope Francis sent a telegram of prayer and condolences for the victims and families of those who lost their lives in a plane crash over Washington DC’s Potomac river.
Pope Francis on Jan. 30th sent a note of his spiritual closeness to all those affected by a plane and helicopter crash in which over 60 people are suspected to have been killed.
Over 30 bodies have been found, and no one is believed to have survived the crash of an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter collided in mid-air near Ronald Regan National Airport.

Sixty-four people were on the plane and three on the helicopter.
In a telegram addressed to President Donald Trump, the Pope said he commends “the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God and offers his deepest sympathies to the families who are now mourning the loss of a loved one.”
He also said he is praying “for those involved in the recovery efforts and invokes upon all in the nation the divine blessings of consolation and strength.

The District of Columbia fire chief coordinating recovery operations said work was ongoing after Wednesday night’s crash “to find all the bodies and reunite them with their loved ones.”
Passengers on the flight included ice skaters, family and coaches returning from events in Wichita, Kansas, including two Russian-born former world champions.
Two teenage figure skaters, their mothers and two world champion coaches from Boston were among the 14 members of the skating community killed when an American Airlines flight collided with an Army helicopter Wednesday night and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac River.
Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said Thursday that skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane were among those killed, along with 1994 pairs world champions and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov (pictured below). The skating club confirms that their son Maxim, a former U.S. junior champion was not in the tragic flight . In all, 14 of the victims were coming back from a national development camp following the U.S. Championships in Wichita, Kansas, Zeghibe said.

Emergency responders worked through the night and reported that a dive team had recovered one of the two data recorders - black boxes, from the plane.
The midair collision occurred as the passenger jet flying from Wichita was approaching to land at Reagan. Radio communications between the air traffic control tower and the Black Hawk showed the helicopter crew knew the plane was in the vicinity.
In a post on X, Bishop Francis Burbridge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington – which borders Washington - asks that “We may be united in prayer for all those tragically impacted by the accient near Reagan Airport: We ask God to embrace them in his love, to grant strength to their families, and to watch over all first responses.”
Source: Vatican News and AP   
File photo of Pope Francis

Comments