The day after the crash of a Boeing 737 in China carrying 132 people, Pope Francis offered his condolences to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his fellow citizens on March 22, 2022.
In a telegram signed by his Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the head of the Catholic Church assured his prayers for the victims and for the consolation of those who are grieving. “His Holiness invokes divine blessing on everyone,” continues the message.
The China Eastern Airlines plane crashed in southwest China on March 21 and none of its passengers were found alive. The causes of the air disaster are not yet known. It seems that all the passengers were Chinese.
Pope Francis often writes the leaders of countries affected by natural disasters or human tragedies via telegrams signed by his Secretary of State. Last November, for example, he offered his condolences to President Vladimir Putin and to the Russian people after the death of 51 people in a mining explosion.
