After praying the midday Angelus on this feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Pope Leo mentioned the tragedy that occurred last week at a school in Central African Republic.
A transformer exploded at Barthelemy Boganda high school in Bangui, the capital, on Wednesday afternoon, while some 5300 pupils were taking the second day of the Baccalaureate exams. The explosion caused panic, as students thought the building was going to collapse.
At least 20 students were killed, though the death toll was originally higher (at 29). Still, a handful remain in critical condition. More than 500 were wounded.
Comfort for the families
Pope Leo promised his prayers and asked God for the gift of comfort:
I assure you of my prayers for the community of the Barthélémy Boganda High School in Bangui, Central African Republic, which is mourning the tragic accident that caused numerous deaths and injuries among the students. May the Lord comfort the families and the entire community!
The Central African Republic is one of the world's poorer nations, and less than 30% of CAR women are literate. The Catholic Church has the greatest percentage of followers, at about 35% of the population of 5.6 million. Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga is the archbishop of Bangui; he is the country's only cardinal.
Pope Francis visited the country in November 2015, along with Kenya and Uganda.
