Pope’s condolences for victims of Bangladesh building collapse
29 April, 2013 - Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his sorrow for the victims of Bangladesh’s
tragic building collapse last week. The Pope’s condolences came before his weekly
midday “Regina Coeli” prayer with a huge crowd of pilgrims and visitors in Rome’s
St. Peter’s Square, after a Mass in which he conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation
on 44 young men and women from around the world. Speaking from the window of the papal
apartment overlooking St. Peter’s Square the Pope first spoke about the Virgin Mary
as a model of how to welcome the Word of God and bear witness to the Risen Jesus.
He then expressed his condolences and prayed for the victims of the tragic collapse
of an 8-storey building near the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, on April 24 in which
at least 381 people have been feared killed. The illegally constructed building housed
five garment factories employing thousands of workers. “I express my solidarity and
profound closeness with the families mourning their loved ones and from the bottom
of my heart I make a strong appeal so that the dignity and security of workers be
always protected,” the Holy Father said in Italian. Earlier on Saturday, the Pope
had also tweeted, “Join me in praying for the victims of the tragedy in Dhaka, Bangladesh,
that God will grant comfort and strength to their families.”