Pope Francis offers prayers, solidarity in wake of EgyptAir crash CNS photo The following is the full text of a telegram issued by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in the wake of the crash of EgyptAir Flight 804:
"Having learned with sadness of the tragic crash of the Egyptian passenger airliner, Pope Francis wishes to assure you of his prayers and solidarity at this difficult time and commends the souls of the deceased of various nationalities to the mercy of the Almighty. Upon the relatives of the passengers and all those involved in the search and rescue efforts, His Holiness invokes the divine blessings of strength and peace."
According to Egyptian officials, debris from the airliner was found Friday in the Mediterranean Sea after the plane crashed Thursday on its way to Cairo from Paris. Sixty-six passengers and crew were aboard, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.