In a telegram made public on February 18, 2022, Pope Francis assured Spain of his solidarity and closeness after a fishing boat sank off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The tragedy occurred February 15. Only three survivors were found in a lifeboat, while nine bodies were recovered. By Friday, the search for the missing 12 victims was called off, after more than 36 hours of searching in more than "10-metre waves, with 45 knot winds, and bone chilling water in the North Atlantic in February," according to Lieutenant-Commander Brian Owens of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax.
The Argentine Pontiff expressed his condolences to the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Julián Barrio Barrio, and to "all the people affected by this tragedy," in a message signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
The Villa de Pitanxo trawler, which was carrying 24 crew members – 16 Spaniards, five Peruvians and three Ghanaians – sank 450 kilometers (280 miles) southeast of the coast of Newfoundland.
