50 years on, Pope remembers victims of deadly Italian earthquake

Vatican News

Pope Leo has expressed his spiritual closeness to those affected by an earthquake in Friuli, northern Italy, in a telegram sent on the 50th anniversary of the disaster. In the message, addressed to the people of Friuli and to Archbishop Riccardo Lamba, Metropolitan Archbishop of Udine, the Holy Father states that he joins “spiritually in the Eucharistic celebration, presided over by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi,” which was organized in memory of the victims.

The Pope also assures his readers of his prayers for the victims’ families and offers “words of comfort to those mourning the loss of their loved ones.”

The telegram, signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, goes on to highlight the wave of solidarity that emerged during the disaster. The Pope thanks “all those from different countries who offered their help,” and praises the “tireless work of local communities.” This mobilization, the message notes, made possible “a rapid return to normal life” and “exemplary reconstruction,” described as a “model of civic rebirth.”

The Pope emphasizes the “human and Christian solidarity shown in those painful circumstances by both Italian and foreign communities", and expresses his hope that “the memory of this tragic event will inspire a renewed commitment to the values of fraternity and charity.”

Finally, the Holy Father entrusts “the entire population of Friuli to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary,” as well as to that of the patron saints Hermagoras and Fortunatus.