TELEGRAM FOR PLANE ACCIDENT IN GERMANY

VATICAN CITY, JULY 2, 2002 (VIS) - Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, sent the following telegram in the Pope's name to Archbishop Giorgio Zur, the Holy See representative to the Russian Federation, with regard to the two planes that crashed into each other early this morning in southern Germany:

"His Holiness learned with great sorrow the sad news of the tragic airplane crash that took place in Germany in which many Russians died, the majority of whom were children. He asks Your Excellency to express his sentiments of heartfelt condolences to the relatives of the victims of this air disaster, and while he entrusts them to God's mercy he invokes divine comfort on those who are mourning the loss of loved ones and he assures everyone of his spiritual closeness in prayer."

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