Pope Leo XIV was among the prominent Catholic voices offering condolences to those who died during Sunday’s tragic train crash in Adamuz, in the southern Spanish province of Córdoba, that left at least 43 dead and 152 injured.

In a telegram sent on the Holy Father’s behalf to the president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), Archbishop Luis Argüello, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, said Pope Leo offered “prayers for the eternal rest of the deceased” and was “deeply saddened” by news of the accident.

“His Holiness conveys his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased, together with his expressions of comfort, spiritual closeness, and wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Parolin added.

The accident occurred on Sunday evening when a high-speed train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed and fell onto another track, hitting a train travelling in the opposite direction to Huelva, a city in southern Spain.

On Monday morning, the CEE released a statement that expressed “condolences to the families of the victims” and wished “a speedy recovery to all those injured”.

“We join in the grief of the affected communities and of society as a whole, and we ask for prayers for all the victims during the celebrations of the Christian community,” the statement went on to say.

Many of Spain’s bishops also released personal messages, including Cardinal José Cobo, archbishop of Madrid; José María Gil Tamayo, archbishop of Granada; and José Ángel Saiz Meneses, archbishop of Seville.

Local parish on the frontline

The parish of San Andrés in Adamuz, in the diocese of Córdoba, immediately became a place of refuge for those affected by the crash, with food and essential supplies, such as heaters and blankets, made available by the parish priest and the parishioners.

The bishop of Córdoba, Monsignor Jesús Fernández, visited the scene and offered the resources of the diocese to help.

“Medical help is necessary, but also psychological and spiritual help, because in these situations we need to feel confidence and faith that helps us to get back on our feet and keep going,” Bishop Fernández said.

Later, three priests from the diocese were sent to the Poniente Sur Civic Center of Córdoba, the support point for the families of the victims.

According to a press release from the diocese, it was vital to have priests in “a place where despair and waiting take their toll in the search for any clue about the whereabouts of their loved ones”.

One of the priests, Father Leopoldo Rivero, said “psychologists will refer families in need to priests so they can be with them, accompany them, and pray so they feel warmth, closeness, and comfort” and that “the Church is offering its services to provide the spiritual care so necessary at this time”.

Diocese of many of the victims offers funeral

Twenty-eight out of 43 of the victims were from the diocese of Huelva, the destination to which one of the trains was headed to, and the diocese will offer a funeral Mass next Thursday, Jan 29., at the diocese’s cathedral presided over by Bishop Santiago Gómez Sierra of Huelva.

“[It] will be a moment of prayer and reflection in which the diocesan community will unite to entrust the victims to God’s mercy, to ask for the speedy recovery of the injured, and to express their closeness and solidarity with their families and loved ones,” the diocese said in a statement.

“Likewise, during the celebration, a special remembrance will be made for all the people and professionals who intervened in the rescue, care and relief efforts, recognizing their dedication, generosity and service in the face of this painful tragedy,” the statement added.

In an earlier letter, Gómez Sierra expressed sorrow that “many of the dead and injured are familiar faces to us” which “makes our grief all the more profound”.

Opus Dei numerary among the dead

Opus Dei confirmed that one of the victims of the crash was a numerary called María Luisa Eugui who was 78 when she died.

Eugui was travelling from Madrid to Huelva to visit her sister, Rosa whose husband was seriously ill and has since died.

Rosa’s granddaughter was also on the train coming to visit Rosa, but she survived the accident.