Pope Leo XIV expressed condolences to victims and their families after the derailment of Lisbon’s historic Elevador da Glória funicular cable car, which killed 17 people. Source: OSV News.
In a telegram sent yesterday on the Pope’s behalf by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, the Pope conveyed “his heartfelt condolences, as well as his spiritual closeness”.
“At the same time, he implores Heaven for the complete recovery of the injured and the strength of Christian hope for all those affected by this disaster,” Cardinal Parolin wrote.
The Pope also expressed his gratitude to those involved in rescue operations and assured his blessing to all involved, “especially to the families of the deceased.”
The accident occurred on Wednesday evening, after a cable came loose, causing the operator to lose control and subsequently crash into a building.
According to the Portuguese newspaper Público, 17 people were killed and 21 were wounded.
A popular tourist attraction in Lisbon, the Elevador da Glória was one of four funicular streetcars operating in the city. Among the injured were tourists from Germany, Spain, South Korea, Cape Verde, Canada, Italy, France, Switzerland and Morocco, Público reported.
Catholic Patriarch Rui Valério of Lisbon said the accident was a dark and painful event in the country’s history.
The patriarch, who was celebrating the anniversary of a bishop in the Diocese of Algarve at the time of the accident, also expressed his solidarity with the victims and their families.
“September 3 will remain a dark page in the history of Lisbon, because of what happened this afternoon,” the patriarch said. “To the families, a feeling I would like to convey is one: we are with you. Your pain is our pain.”
The Archbishop of Lisbon, who traditionally holds the title of patriarch, added: “Our pain is profound, but it is illuminated and comforted by the power of prayer.”
As authorities investigate the cause of the accident and whether it involved maintenance issues, the Lisbon City Council suspended the operation of the city’s funicular streetcars, all of which go up and down the city’s steepest streets.
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Pope saddened by loss of life in streetcar derailment in Portugal that killed 17 (By Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News)
