“With emotion, I pray for them and express my closeness to these peoples, to the families of the victims, and to all those who are suffering from this devastating calamity,” added His Holiness, who noted, “We pray together so that these brothers and sisters of ours may move forward, in the face of this tragedy.”

According to official data, the death toll after Monday’s earthquakes in southern Türkiye and northern Syria on Wednesday exceeded 11,000 lives, with tens of thousands of injured.

Pope Francis called to send humanitarian aid to both nations and expressed his gratitude “to all those who make efforts to bring relief. I encourage all those who are giving solidarity to these territories.”

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