ZAMBIA: Zambians Joins the other Youth in Brazil for World Youth Congress as bus carrying pilgrims from Cayenne is involved in a fatal accident
Information from Zambian Episcopal Conference said Family, friends, Priests, Nuns and various Church officials flagged off the group on 9 July 2013 at the Lusaka International Airport while wishing them to be good ambassadors for the Country in the Congress.
The official ceremonies of WYD Rio2013, with the Holy Father, Pope Francis begin on 23 July and will culminate in a grande finale Mass, on 28 July, at Rio’s Campus Fidei arena specially designed for this function.
Meanwhile one pilgrim to the World Youth Day from Cayenne died when a bus they were traveling in was involved in an accident near Kourou, French Guiana on 17th July 2013. A telegram of condolences was sent in the Holy Father’s name by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. to the bishop of Cayenne, in response to news of the accident which caused one death, and left five other victims seriously injured.
The Telegram read: “Pope Francis, informed of the tragic road accident on the road to Saint Laurent du Maroni involving a bus carrying young people participating in World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, wishes to express his heartfelt participation in the mourning of the families of the deceased, and of the group leaders and organisers. The Pope assures them of his prayers and expresses his deepest sympathy with those injured, the rescue workers and all those around them. The Holy Father wishes to impart the comfort of an apostolic blessing on all those touched by this tragedy”.
