Pope Francis urged prayers for the 38 people who lost their lives on Monday when a fire broke out near the border between Mexico and the United States.
The Holy Father mentioned the victims at the end of the general audience this March 29.
“Let us pray for the migrants who died yesterday in the tragic fire in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, so that the Lord will receive them in his Kingdom and console their families. Let us pray for them,” he urged.
The fire was reportedly set as a protest by some of the people who were at the center, which processes migrations.
The victims were from across Central America, including 28 from Guatemala.
Ciudad Juarez, right across the border from El Paso, Texas, has seen an influx of people hoping to move to the United States, but detained in Mexico. They are being held in Mexico under a Trump-era rule set during the pandemic, which Biden has said he would lift, but has not.
As well, there is video footage that seems to show guards scurrying from the blaze, while locked doors of the center prohibit those inside from escaping.
According to the BBC, the US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, said the tragedy was “a reminder to the governments of the region of the importance of fixing a broken migration system and the risks of irregular migration.”
And today we celebrate...