Around 9 PM Jan. 29, a regional jet flying from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a U.S. Army helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The aircraft plummeted into the Potomac River, and more than 60 passengers and crew members on board American Airlines Flight 5342 were feared dead. Pope Francis, in a telegram sent Jan. 30 to President Donald Trump, expressed his "spiritual closeness to all those affected, including his prayers for the first responders who have been retrieving the victims' bodies. In commending the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, I offer my deepest sympathies to the families who are now mourning the loss of a loved one. We praise God for the generous assistance of our courageous first responders, and may this disaster serve as an impetus to strengthen our unity and collaboration." Among the victims were many young ice-skaters who had just competed in a competition in Wichita, Kansas. There were also a husband and wife ice-skating champions from Russia, besides coaches and parents. Other Washington and Kansas bishops commented, "We are able to gather here today in faith, and to entrust all those who have died to God's loving embrace, to ask the Lord to bless and console family members and friends, and to watch over all the first responders. How fragile life really is. Each new day is a gift. Each moment we have with loved ones is a gift. Each day we have to do good for others is a gift. So perhaps the most powerful way we can honor those who lost their lives last night is to make sure we never take these gifts for granted."
No comments:
Post a Comment