” “The funerals of the 41 victims of the accident that occurred yesterday in the underground of Valencia are due today afternoon in the cathedral. The funeral service is to be attended by the King and Queen of Spain and by the Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who immediately came back from his official visit to India. Francisco Camps, president of Generalitat Valenciana the region’s self-government ordered three days of official mourning, and the same did mgr. Agustín García-Gasco, archbishop of the city which suspended the festive celebrations that had been launched for the World Meeting of the Families. The thousands of pilgrims that are in town for the meeting, which will be attended by the Pope on Saturday and Sunday, are flocking to the local churches for saying the rosary and for vigils of prayer on their own will. The Basilica of "Desemparados" hosted the first prayers, celebrated by the auxiliary bishops of Valencia, Salvador Giménez and Enric Benavent. The ten thousand volunteers of the World Meeting of the Families have added a black ribbon to their T-shirts as a sign of mourning. The president of the Spanish Bishops Conference, mrg. Ricardo Blázquez, sent a telegram to the archbishop of Valencia to express the sympathy of all the Spanish Bishops for the accident. Yesterday night, a telegram of condolence was sent by Benedict XVI who expressed his "fatherly closeness" to the victims, the injured people and the affected families.” “
