Pope Leo XIV meets grieving families of Crans-Montana fire victims, offering faith, compassion, and prayers for healing and hope.
Newsroom (15/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) In a deeply moving encounter at the Vatican on Thursday, Pope Leo XIV received families of those killed and injured in the devastating fire that struck Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on New Year’s Day. The Pope, visibly affected by their suffering, offered words of faith, compassion, and consolation to those still reeling from the tragedy.
“Be assured of Christ’s closeness and His tenderness,” Pope Leo told the grieving families. “He is not distant from what you are experiencing; on the contrary, He shares it and carries it with you.”
A Tragedy on a Day of Celebration
Swiss authorities have confirmed that at least 40 people perished and 119 were injured, many seriously, when a fire and explosion tore through a crowded bar in the Swiss ski resort town as guests celebrated the arrival of the New Year. For Pope Leo XIV, the juxtaposition of festivity and catastrophe underscored the depth of the families’ anguish.
He expressed profound sadness that the fire struck “on a day when everyone was rejoicing and celebrating, exchanging wishes of joy and happiness,” and acknowledged the limits of human words in the face of such loss. “What meaning can be given to such events?” he asked aloud. “Where can one find a consolation equal to what you are experiencing—one that is not empty or superficial, but that touches deeply and rekindles hope?”
Faith in the Shadow of the Cross
In his reflection, Pope Leo turned to the image of the Cross, calling it the only lens adequate to the suffering before him. “That of the Son of God on the Cross—whom you are so close to today—who from the depths of His abandonment and pain cried out: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”
The Pope reminded those gathered that even Christ’s desolation was met with silence before the resurrection offered its answer. “The Father’s answer took three days to come,” he said, pausing. “But what an answer it was! Jesus rises again in glory, living forever in the light of Easter.”
Acknowledging the impossibility of providing earthly explanations for their suffering, Pope Leo affirmed with conviction that Christian hope remains unbroken. “Your hope is not in vain,” he said. “Christ is truly risen.”
Strength Through Light and Prayer
“The faith that dwells within us,” the Pope continued, “illuminates the darkest and most painful moments of our lives with an irreplaceable light.” He encouraged the families to persevere, reminding them that “Jesus goes before us on this path of death and resurrection, which requires patience and perseverance.”
He assured the families of his continued spiritual support: “Be assured of the Church’s prayer—and of my personal prayer—for the repose of your deceased loved ones, for relief for those who are suffering, and for you who accompany them with tenderness and love.”
The Comfort of Our Lady of Sorrows
Drawing on Marian devotion, Pope Leo invited the families to entrust their grief to Our Lady of Sorrows, who stood at the Cross and shared in her Son’s suffering. “Mary is close to you in these days,” he said, “and it is to her that I entrust you.”
Before offering his Apostolic Blessing, the Pope led those gathered in an Our Father and a Hail Mary, uniting their pain with prayer and their faith with one another.
A Pattern of Compassion
Thursday’s audience was the latest expression of Pope Leo’s closeness to those devastated by the Crans-Montana catastrophe. In a telegram sent the day after the fire, he implored the Lord “to welcome the deceased into His dwelling of peace and light, and to support the courage of those who suffer in their hearts or in their bodies.” Days later, during his Angelus address on January 4, the Pope again invoked prayers for “the young people who died, for the injured, and for their families.”
As the Vatican gathering concluded, the pontiff’s words left an enduring echo: faith does not erase grief, but it gives it meaning. The Pope’s message—rooted in compassion, hope, and the resilience of belief—reminded those present that even amid unbearable loss, love endures.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
Related Images:
