The following was posted today on the website of the Diocese of San Bernardino. It is also in this Sunday's bulletin for our parish in the Diocese of San Diego, and I would guess it is also in other parishes' bulletins in the dioceses affected by the fires:
In correspondence received from the Vatican Thursday afternoon, Pope Benedict XVI offered words of encouragement and prayer for victims of last week's wildfires and for those who fought the fires.
The message, relayed by his Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, reads as follows,
HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI WAS DEEPLY SADDENED TO LEARN OF THE TRAGIC LOSS OF LIFE AND DAMAGE TO HOMES AND OTHER PROPERTIES CAUSED BY EXTENSIVE FIRES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND WISHES TO EXPRESS HIS SYMPATHY AND CLOSENESS IN PRAYER TO THOSE AFFECTED. HE ALSO OFFERS HIS PRAYERFUL ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE FIRE-FIGHTERS, RESCUE WORKERS AND ALL INVOLVED IN BRINGING RELIEF AND SUPPORT TO THE VICTIMS OF THIS DISASTER. COMMENDING THE DECEASED TO THE LOVING MERCY OF ALMIGHTY GOD, HIS HOLINESS INVOKES UPON THEIR GRIEVING FAMILIES AND ALL THOSE INJURED, ABUNDANT DIVINE GRACES OF STRENGTH AND COMFORT.
Hat tip The American Papist
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