Holy Cross Catholic Church

Pope Francis speaks at the Children’s Rights Summit on Feb. 3, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Feb 3, 2025 / 12:20 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis received a long round of applause at a Vatican summit on Monday after announcing he intends to make children the theme of a new papal document.

Titled “Love Them and Protect Them,” the Feb. 2–3 summit with public- and private-sector leaders from around the world includes panels on the child’s right to resources, to education, to food and health care, to family, to free time, and to live free from violence.

“To give continuity to this commitment and promote it throughout the Church, I plan to prepare a letter, an exhortation dedicated to children,” Pope Francis said on Feb. 3 in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall.

The pontiff participated in most of the first day of the summit, at which he gave an opening speech on the importance of protecting children at the margins of society, including those living in war zones, unaccompanied minors, and the unborn.

“The halls of the Apostolic Palace today have become an open observatory on the reality of childhood throughout the world, a childhood that is unfortunately often wounded, exploited, denied,” he said in his remarks at the closing of Day 2 of the summit.

“Your presence, your experience, and your compassion have given rise to an observatory and, above all, to a laboratory,” he added.

“In different thematic groups you have drawn up proposals for the protection of children’s rights, considering them not as numbers but as faces. All this gives glory to God, and to him we entrust it, that his Holy Spirit may make it fruitful and fertile.”

“Children look to us, children look to us to see how we send life forward,” the Holy Father continued.

Speakers at the two-day summit include Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and author and Holocaust survivor Edith Bruck.

Filipino Cardinal Pablo Virgilio Siongco David was created a cardinal by Pope Francis during the consistory at St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 7, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Rome Newsroom, Feb 3, 2025 / 11:50 am (CNA).

After a U.S abuse watchdog slammed the Philippines’ bishops for not taking action against clergy accused of sexual abuse, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David urged Filipino Catholics to report priests accused of misconduct to both Church and civil authorities.

Days after BishopsAccountability.org on Jan. 29 launched its Philippines database, which lists 82 priests and brothers publicly accused of abusing minors, David insisted the country’s Catholics must report “erring priests.” 

“Please don’t hesitate to file complaints against abusive clerics whether in the civil or Church forums,” David insisted in a Jan. 31 statement. “[Pope Francis] has been insistent on putting up structures of check and balance and accountability to prevent past mistakes from happening again.”

David conceded the Church is “not always successful” in keeping accused clergy accountable and needs “the help and participation of our laypeople, including our professional journalists” to protect minors and vulnerable adults from abuse. 

The database also includes allegations about Filipino priests who served in the U.S. and priests from other countries — the United States, Ireland, and Australia — who served in the Philippines.

Regarding U.S. priests, David said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is “at a loss” on how to take appropriate action against suspended clergy attempting to engage in active ministry or who may be in hiding in the country.

“It’s important that the local bishops to whom they are incardinated in the States should inform us bishops in the Philippines about such cases,” the cardinal said. 

The Philippine Daily Inquirer on Jan. 31 reported two bishops from the Visayas region issued separate statements addressing accusations leveled against clergy belonging to their dioceses.

Archbishop Jose Palma said most of the men mentioned by BishopsAccountability.org linked to the Archdiocese of Cebu had been dismissed from service or were dead. He noted three clergy had been reintegrated into the archdiocese after the required legal and canonical processes, reported the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza said two priests called out by the U.S. abuse watchdog connected to the Diocese of San Carlos “are still under ecclesiastical review” by the diocesan safeguarding office.

“The diocese is steadfastly committed to cooperating with civil authorities and the Philippine courts to ensure a fair and just process,” Alminaza said in a statement last week.

Under Pope Francis, the Vatican has set up institutional processes and structures, including the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, to accompany and assist local Churches’ safeguarding ministries.

Following Rome’s mandate, the CBCP established the Office on the Protection of Minors, headed by Archbishop Florentino Lavarias. Each Philippine diocese is required to have a diocesan safeguarding office supervised by the local bishop.

Queen Rania Al Abdullah speaks along with other world leaders at the Children’s Rights Summit on Feb. 3, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Feb 3, 2025 / 09:13 am (CNA).

Pope Francis and leaders from around the world are meeting at the Vatican this week to discuss the rights of children, including the smallest and most defenseless children — the unborn.

The pontiff opened the summit on Feb. 3 with a reflection on the many ways children are oppressed today, including living through war, poverty, as undocumented migrants, and without access to adequate food, education, and health care.

In his address to prominent leaders in the private and public sectors, he also highlighted how children are harmed through abortion, promoted by a “throwaway culture of waste and profit, in which everything is bought and sold without respect or care for life, especially when that life is small and defenseless.”

“In the name of this throwaway mentality, in which the human being becomes all-powerful, unborn life is sacrificed through the murderous practice of abortion,” Francis said. “Abortion suppresses the life of children and cuts off the source of hope for the whole of society.”

The Feb. 2–3 summit, titled “Love Them and Protect Them,” includes panels on the child’s right to resources, to education, to food and health care, to family, to free time, and to live free from violence.

Summit speakers include Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and author and Holocaust survivor Edith Bruck.

Cardinal Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states, and other Vatican officials are chairing the panels.

Speaking in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall, Pope Francis also drew attention Monday to his concern that young people, themselves a sign of hope, are struggling to find hope in today’s world.

“Increasingly, those who have their whole life ahead of them are unable to approach it with optimism and confidence,” he said, pointing out the damage of “pathological individualism” in developed countries.

Pope Francis also spoke about the growing phenomenon in immigration of unaccompanied minors — including “the ‘indocumentados’ [undocumented] children at the border of the United States, those first victims of that exodus of despair and hope made by the thousands of people coming from the south toward the United States of America, and many others.”

Before the start of the summit on Monday, Pope Francis met briefly with a group of children from different countries who gave him a letter saying “together with you we want to cleanse the world of bad things, color it with friendship and respect, and help you build a beautiful future for everyone!”

The pontiff will also deliver the summit’s closing remarks on the afternoon of Feb. 3.

Community members at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Los Angeles turn out to unload a truck of supplies from Kansas on Jan. 28, 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Greg Trum

CNA Staff, Feb 3, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Catholics in Kansas last week drove a truckload of supplies more than 1,600 miles to Los Angeles to bring some relief to the faithful there who have been devastated by recent wildfires. 

Deacon Greg Trum and his wife, Barb, told CNA they were moved to help residents of Los Angeles while putting Christmas decorations away in the storage space of their Leawood, Kansas, home. 

“Barb said, ‘Hey, if something’s been in the storage area for a year and we haven’t needed it, it needs to go,’” Trum said, adding that his wife further expressed that she wished they could get some of their belongings to victims of the Los Angeles fires. 

Trum’s response? “We could probably load up a truck and do something.”

The Trums asked their pastor, Father Brian Schieber at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, if they could organize the parish to donate supplies. They contacted Paul Escala, the superintendent of Catholic schools in Los Angeles, to determine what parishioners in that city might need. The effort ultimately focused on students and others at St. Elizabeth Catholic School in Altadena.

They put the word out to the St. Michael community. “The response was overwhelming,” the deacon said. “Immediately people started bringing things in.”

The effort began at the St. Michael the Archangel parish school. Trum said the principal told the several hundred children of the school: “If you woke up and had nothing, what would you need? Bring that to these kids.” 

“We got a ton of school supplies, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and bedding,” Trum said. “It was originally somewhat focused on the school. But once we knew we were going to overwhelm the school [in Los Angeles] with the supplies, we opened it to family needs.”

Organizers quickly saw that the volume of goods being donated by the parish would require a truck to transport it. Trum was able to secure transportation at a bargain rate. 

“I was in the commercial tire business,” he said. “One of my customers was Penske Truck.” 

“I didn’t want to get gouged,” Trum said with a laugh. “I called them up and told them about it and said, will you give us a deal?”

According to the deacon, the company responded: “We’ll give you a really good deal — we’ll give you a truck!” All it cost the church was gas, Trum said. 

A fellow parishioner, Mike Pollock, oversaw the logistics of boxing up and organizing the supplies. The deacon ultimately rode out with another friend and fellow Catholic, Mike Klover. 

On the way out, they stopped at a Catholic parish in Topeka that had heard about the effort and wanted to add supplies to the truck. The city was directly on the route to Los Angeles, so the drivers stopped and loaded up more donations. 

After that, “the only room we had on our truck was our two suitcases,” the deacon said. “Mother Mary was definitely in charge, making sure things went well.”

Both the St. Elizabeth church and school survived, but many members of the parish and school lost their homes in the surrounding area.

The duo traveled a total of 1,653 miles to get to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Pasadena, where the supplies would be dropped off for the nearby St. Elizabeth Parish. 

“We had a 3:30 appointment, and we were there at 3:15,” Trum said. Many members of the community turned out to help unload the truck, including Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Brian Nunes.

Trum and Klover stayed overnight two nights with the religious sisters at the Sacred Heart Retreat House in Alhambra before heading back to Kansas. 

For Barb Trum, the experience was the fruit of a dedication to Christ and the Virgin Mary. “We have a very deep devotion to the Blessed Mother,” she told CNA. “You have to stay very close to the sacraments every day, whether it’s daily Mass, the Eucharist, reconciliation, or adoration.”

She urged the faithful to “have an open heart to do God’s work and build up the kingdom of God.” She pointed to the Gospel directive in which the faithful are told “if you have two things you’re supposed to give one to someone who needs it.” 

“When Jesus calls, we respond,” she said. “That’s what we did.”

In a Jan. 29, 2025, report, the leadership of the aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales said the situation in Goma has worsened due to escalating conflict, underscoring the need for a heightened humanitarian response. / Credit: CAFOD

ACI Africa, Feb 2, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Amid the escalation of violence, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) has scaled up humanitarian response in Goma, a city in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where violence has resulted in a humanitarian crisis.

In a Jan. 29 report, the leadership of the aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales said the situation in Goma has worsened due to escalating conflict, underscoring the need for a heightened humanitarian response.

“Our local experts remain in Goma, working tirelessly to support families affected by the conflict. We continue to help those devastated and displaced by the fighting,” CAFOD said in the report.

The U.K. Catholic agency added: “We are stepping up our response to meet the increasing need for humanitarian aid, such as emergency food and water. We work with local experts in Goma and the people they are supporting through the crisis. Thanks to our courageous local experts, we are ready to respond to these growing needs.”

CAFOD’s country representative for DRC, Bernard Balibuno, described the situation in Goma as “very serious.”

“Our staff and partners are responding with what they have, and we will be scaling up our response,” Balibuno said in the report.

He added: “The humanitarian needs in Goma now are vast. The city has been forced into shutdown by the fighting and hundreds of thousands of people are displaced.”

On Jan. 27, the Rwandan-backed March 23 (M23), the rebels wreaking havoc in Goma, announced that its forces had taken over Goma.

With approximately 2 million residents, Goma has been in conflict for more than three decades since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, with numerous armed groups competing with authorities for control of the country.

According to CAFOD, fighting in the DRC has affected millions, displacing families and disrupting essential services. Families seeking safety in the city are now trapped, with limited access to electricity, water, and food.

The fighting has confined families to overcrowded shelters in hospitals, churches, and schools. U.N. aid agencies warn of severe shortages of basic necessities, CAFOD indicated in its report.

The report further indicated that the conflict has severely damaged the infrastructure, disrupting electricity and water supplies. Internet services are inconsistent, making communication difficult.

Children face significant challenges as schools remain closed, disrupting education and forcing many to flee their homes. Health care services are struggling, with urgent shortages of medicine and supplies.

CAFOD also reported that a Catholic maternity hospital sustained damage from bombings, resulting in casualties among children and caregivers.

In the report, CAFOD urged the international community to acknowledge the crisis in DRC.

“We are making sure DRC is not a forgotten crisis, and you can do the same,” CAFOD said, calling on individuals to share information about the conflict and to support affected families through prayer and advocacy.

The charity entity acknowledged the ongoing support from the Catholic community in England and Wales, affirming its commitment to assisting displaced families in Goma.

“Thanks to our brilliant local experts and the support of the Catholic community in England and Wales, we are ready to respond to this growing need as families are displaced once again,” CAFOD said. “Now that the fighting has engulfed Goma, we need to talk about the conflict more than ever.”

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Pope Francis delivers his Angelus address from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter’s Square on Feb. 2, 2025, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Newsroom, Feb 2, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

In a profound reflection delivered during Sunday’s Angelus prayer, Pope Francis emphasized how Jesus Christ reveals the ultimate criterion by which all history is judged: love.

“Whoever loves lives, whoever hates dies,” the pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord.

The Holy Father also renewed his urgent appeal for peace in conflict zones worldwide, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, where armed groups continue to terrorize communities and millions have been displaced. “War destroys, devastates everything, takes lives, and leads to a disregard for life itself,” he said, adding that “war is always a defeat.”

Drawing from the Gospel of Luke (2:22-40), which recounts Mary and Joseph bringing the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem, Pope Francis focused his catechesis on three significant aspects of Christ revealed through Simeon’s prophecy: salvation, light, and a sign of contradiction.

“God is present among his people — not because he dwells within four walls, but because he lives as a man among men,” Francis explained, highlighting the radical newness of this moment in salvation history.

The pope noted how Mary and Joseph were “deeply moved and astonished” as Simeon identified Jesus through these three significant words: salvation, light, and a sign of contradiction.

Explaining the first aspect, Francis emphasized that Jesus embodies universal salvation, calling it “an awe-inspiring truth emphasizing that God’s redemptive love is fully embodied in one person.”

Regarding the second characteristic, the pope described how Jesus illuminates the world “much like the rising sun, dispelling the darkness of suffering, evil, and death” that continues to afflict humanity today.

Finally, addressing Jesus as a sign of contradiction, Francis explained how Christ reveals the deeper truths of human hearts, with history ultimately judged by the criterion of love.

Concluding his reflection, the pope encouraged the faithful to examine their spiritual expectations, asking: “What am I waiting for in my life? What is my greatest hope? Does my heart desire to see the face of the Lord?”

He then invited all to pray together that Mary “may accompany us through the lights and shadows of history on our journey to the Lord.”

Servant of God Antonio “Nino” Baglieri. / Credit: Courtesy of Salesians of Don Bosco

ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 2, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The Salesians received the news that the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints has validated the diocesan investigation for the beatification cause of the Servant of God Antonino Baglieri, a quadriplegic layman who, in the midst of suffering, decided to bring Jesus to other people who are ill.

The Vatican communication, signed by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the dicastery, was received by the Salesian Family’s postulator general for the causes of saints, Father Pierluigi Cameroni, as confirmed by ANS, the Salesian Congregation’s news service.

According to the publication, the validation was accomplished after verifying the formal aspects of the procedural acts and the solidity of the evidence, including the quantity and quality of the witnesses and the documents that were collected. The diocesan investigation was carried out in the curia of the Diocese of Noto, Italy, from March 2, 2014, to May 5, 2024.

Cameroni said the progress in the cause of beatification “is a great achievement, the fruit of the work carried out by the members of the diocesan tribunal and by those who have contributed, particularly by the historical commission and the vice postulator.”

Now, the next step will be for the postulator to ask the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to appoint a relator who will guide the preparation of the “positio super virtutibus” (“position on the virtues”).

Who was Antonino ‘Nino’ Baglieri?

Baglieri was born on May 1, 1951, in Modica, Italy. At the age of 17, while working as a bricklayer’s apprentice, he suffered a fall from a 56-foot scaffold, leaving him completely paralyzed.

According to the official Salesian website, his mother, Giuseppina, putting all her trust in God, decided to dedicate the rest of her life to caring for her disabled son. Thus began Baglieri’s difficult journey, moving from one hospital to another without finding any improvement. 

Upon returning to his village in 1970, after a few days of visits from friends, he went through a decade of isolation, pain, and despair without leaving his home.

On the evening of March 24, 1978, Good Friday, a group from the Catholic Charismatic Renewal prayed over Nino, and at that moment he felt a profound change within him. From then on, he accepted with faith the cross that he had been called to bear and began to form himself spiritually by reading the Bible, especially the Gospels.

During that time, while helping some children with their homework, he learned to write with his mouth. Thus he began his mission of evangelization, capturing his memoirs and sending letters to people around the world. 

He also wrote personalized holy cards for those who visited him and wrote down phone numbers to keep in touch with the sick, to whom he imparted serenity, comfort, and hope with his words, the Salesian Congregation said.

In May 1982, Baglieri began to commemorate the anniversary of the cross he had been called to carry following his accidental fall and that same year he joined the Salesian Family as a Salesian cooperator. On Aug. 31, 2004, he made his perpetual profession of the evangelical counsels with the Volunteers with Don Bosco.

On March 2, 2007, at 8 a.m., after years of illness, Baglieri died. Following his wish, he was dressed in sportswear and sneakers, thus expressing his desire to “run to meet God on his last journey.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Pope Francis presides over First Vespers for the World Day for Consecrated Life in St. Peter's Basilica, surrounded by bishops, priests, and religious men and women on Feb. 1, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Anhelina Martsisheuskaya/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Feb 1, 2025 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis urged consecrated men and women to become “bearers of light” in today’s world through their faithful witness of the evangelical counsels as he celebrated first vespers for the World Day for Consecrated Life in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Speaking to thousands of religious on Saturday evening, the pope outlined how poverty, chastity, and obedience can transform society through God’s love, drawing from the biblical theme “See... I have come to do your will, O God” (Heb 10:7).

The World Day for Consecrated Life, celebrated annually on Feb. 2, takes on special significance this year as the Church prepares for the Jubilee of Consecrated Life scheduled for October. The celebration coincides with the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and is marked by the symbolism of light.

In his homily, the pope emphasized how evangelical poverty liberates religious from worldly attachments, enabling them to become “a blessing for others” by embracing “simplicity, generosity, sharing, and solidarity.” He warned against the dangers of “selfishness, greed, dependence, and violent use” of material goods.

“What a balm it is for the soul to encounter religious women and men capable of a mature and joyful relationality of this kind!” Francis said during the evening prayer service. He compared consecrated persons to a “Bride before her Spouse... surrounded by his light.”

The Holy Father noted that consecrated chastity, rooted in the Trinity, offers a powerful witness in a world often marked by “superficial relationships and selfish affectivity.” Religious communities must provide ongoing formation to help members fully live this gift without “unhealthy expressions of dissatisfaction,” he added.

Regarding obedience, Francis highlighted its role as an “antidote to isolated individualism” in an age dominated by ceaseless words and images but little listening. This counsel fosters “active listening” and helps people discover their purpose in “God’s greater plan,” he said, particularly in families, workplaces, and social networks.

The pope concluded by calling consecrated men and women to return to the origins of their vocation through renewed Eucharistic adoration. “We are too practical, we want to do things, but ... adore,” he urged. “There must be the capacity for adoration in silence.”

Catholics worldwide are invited to pray Sunday for vocations to consecrated life.

Pope Francis speaks during his general audience on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Feb 1, 2025 / 16:09 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis urged Ukrainian youth on Saturday to persist in dialogue and patriotism while acknowledging the profound challenges of forgiveness amid ongoing warfare during a virtual meeting with young people gathered in Kyiv’s Cathedral of the Resurrection.

The encounter, which connected the pope with approximately 250 young Ukrainians in Kyiv and other locations across Europe and the Americas, began with a moment of prayer followed by testimonies about the impacts of war on their lives and communities.

“War brings famine, war kills,” the pope told participants, encouraging them to be patriots and to “love your homeland, guard your homeland.” He added that “being patriots” represents “the mysticism of young Ukrainians today,” reported ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner.

The meeting carried added significance as Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk warned that air raid sirens could force participants into underground shelters at any moment. Despite a recent airstrike, restored power and internet services allowed the meeting to proceed.

Francis recalled the story of Oleksandr, a young soldier whose Gospel book and rosary the pope now keeps “as relics” on his desk. While encouraging dreams of future peace, the pontiff emphasized that “peace is built through dialogue — never tire of dialogue,” even when challenging.

Addressing a specific question about forgiveness when war leaves deep wounds, the pope acknowledged it as “one of the most difficult things” while sharing his own perspective: “I am helped by this phrase: I must forgive as I have been forgiven. Each of us must look in our own life at how we have been forgiven.”

The virtual audience included moving testimonies, including from a 17-year-old girl whose brother was wounded and surrounded by enemies but later freed and an 18-year-old from Kharkiv who spoke of fallen comrades and destroyed cities.

Before imparting his blessing, Pope Francis made a final plea to remember Ukraine’s young heroes. He encouraged perseverance: “We have all made mistakes, but when one falls, they must get back up and keep moving forward.”

Marco Mancini contributed to this report.

Emergency service members respond to a plane crash in a neighborhood near Cottman Avenue on Jan. 31, 2025, in Philadelphia. The plane, a medical transport jet carrying a child patient, crashed after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. / Credit: Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Feb 1, 2025 / 10:55 am (CNA).

Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Peréz called for all to “unite in prayer” after a private medical jet carrying a pediatric patient, her mother, and four crew members crashed Friday night in northeast Philadelphia.

“My heart sank when I learned that an aircraft crashed at Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard in northeast Philadelphia tonight,” Peréz said in a Jan. 31 statement. 

The plane, which was owned by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, crashed just after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at about 6 p.m. It was headed to Branson, Missouri, before its final destination of Tijuana, Mexico. The six passengers, who were all Mexican nationals, were killed, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

On Saturday afternoon, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said one person on the ground who was in a car was killed and at least 19 people on the ground had been injured, the Inquirer reported.

A representative of Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia said the child had received care at the hospital and was returning home with her mother, according to the Inquirer.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a post on X Saturday morning that “consular authorities are in permanent contact with the families” and “my sympathy goes out to their loved ones and friends.”

“This shocking tragedy comes with great loss, pain, and anxiety for the families of the crew and passengers as well as neighborhood residents and business owners whose evening was shattered with sudden violence,” Peréz continued in his statement. “We pray fervently that God will bring comfort and healing in this time of anguish.”

Peréz prayed that the Blessed Mother would be with the first responders and emergency personnel and extended his gratitude for their service.

“Let us all unite in prayer and do what we can in the days ahead to share the compassionate love of Christ with those suffering as a result of tonight’s crash,” he said.

The tragedy comes just two days after an American Eagle flight collided with a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 29, killing 67 people.

This story was updated on Feb. 1, 2025, at 1:58 p.m. ET with an updated death and injury toll.