Pope Francis has expressed his condolences and solidarity to all those affected by the tragic sinking of a Spanish fishing trawler, several hundred kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

In a telegram sent on his behalf by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and addressed to Archbishop Julián Barrio Barrio of Santiago de Compostela, the Pope said he is grieved to hear of the sad news of the shipwreck of the Villa de Pitanxo fishing boat, which occurred on February 15 in stormy seas.

Only three survivors of the 24-member crew were rescued; nine bodies were recovered. The search for twelve missing crew members was called off on Wednesday, 36 hours after the boat had sunk.

The fifty-meter fishing boat from Marin, a port in the north-western Spanish region of Galicia, carried a crew made up of Spaniards, Peruvians, and Ghanaians.

The Pope, the telegram reads, “raises to God his prayers for the eternal repose of the victims and expresses his closeness to the families who mourn their loved ones. He commends to the mercy of the Lord and to the maternal care of the Mother of God, all those affected by this accident.”

Pope Francis also imparted his apostolic blessing as “a pledge of the constant help of the Lord and as a sign of hope in the Resurrection.”

The following is the telegram sent on behalf of the Holy Father by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to Archbishop Julián Barrio Barrio of Santiago de Compostela:

ARCHBISHOP JULIÁN BARRIO BARRIO

OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

UPON HEARING THE SAD NEWS OF THE SINKING OF THE FISHING BOAT VILLA DE PITANXO, WHICH OCCURRED ON 15 FEBRUARY, OFF THE COAST OF CANADA, AND IN WHICH SEVERAL PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES, THE HOLY FATHER EXPRESSES HIS HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES, AS WELL AS HIS SOLIDARITY, IN THESE MOMENTS OF SORROW.

HIS HOLINESS FRANCIS PRAYS TO GOD FOR THE ETERNAL REPOSE OF THE VICTIMS AND EXPRESSES HIS CLOSENESS TO THE FAMILIES WHO MOURN THEIR LOVED ONES. HE ALSO COMMENDS TO THE MERCY OF THE LORD AND TO THE MATERNAL CARE OF THE MOTHER OF GOD THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THIS TRAGEDY, WHILE IMPARTING THE APOSTOLIC BLESSING, AS A PLEDGE OF THE CONSTANT HELP OF THE ALMIGHTY AND AS A SIGN OF SURE HOPE IN THE RESURRECTION.

CARDINAL PIETRO PAROLIN

SECRETARY OF STATE