Turn to God, say Spanish churches amid train crash aftermath

Church leaders across Spain urged people to turn to God in prayer following a deadly train crash Wednesday. Two high-speed trains collided on a line between Los Yébenes and Urda, near Toledo, killing 69 people, according to the latest update from the Associated Press. The Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain said it grieved with the families of those who had died. The organization, which represents Protestant and evangelical churches, asked churches in the region to support survivors of the crash. It also called for prayers for transparency as crash investigators probe for answers.

The Evangelical Church of Valls, in Tarragona, encouraged people to cry out to God amid this pain and suffering. There were no easy answers, but the church emphasized that God offers consolation, the church wrote in a Facebook post.

What else have leaders said? Father Fernando Fernández de Bobadilla, the parish priest of Los Yébenes, said he was at the scene shortly after the crash. Speaking with the radio station COPE, he described the horror of watching the deceased being carried away while he held IV bags for those who were injured. Meanwhile, a chaplain at a hospital near the crash told ​​the radio station that he witnessed the shocked faces of victims as they entered the medical facility.

Additionally, several Catholic organizations and bishops have spoken out:

• The Spanish Bishops’ Conference said it prayed for the eternal rest of the deceased and for the recovery of the injured.

• Toledo’s Archbishop said that his ministry, alongside the parishes of Urda and Los Yébenes, were available to support the families of those affected.

• Other bishops, from across the country, also offered their prayers for the families.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Black’s report for more details on the crash.