Pope prays for victims of India train accident, remembers victims of war

By Vatican News staff reporter

During the Sunday Angelus in Saint Peter's Square, Pope Francis remembered the victims of the train accident in India two days ago that took the lives of nearly 300 people and injured some 1,200 others, according to recent reports.

The Pope assured them of his prayers and said that he is close to the injured and their families. He said, "May our heavenly Father receive the souls of the deceased into his kingdom."

The crash involved a passenger train that ended being directed on to a secondary track where it collided head on with a parked freight train. The massive impact and derailment then affected a second passenger train passing in the opposite direction.

Investigations are underway and there are reports the cause may be related to a faulty rail switch.

Prayers for victims of war

The Pope then offered his prayers for the victims of the scourge of war, remembering especially the suffering people of Ukraine.

He entrusted their protection to the Blessed Mother, as he recalled that Virgo Fidelis, Patroness of Italy's Carabinieri Corps, that she "may protect all of them and their families."

He also thanked the Carabinieri as well and a group of representatives in the Square on Sunday for their daily service and closesness to the people.