Pope Leo XIV prays for Mindanao quake victims

MANILA, Philippines — Pope Leo XIV has expressed solidarity with Filipinos affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8.

Speaking after the Angelus at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday, June 14, the pontiff said he was praying for those killed, injured and affected by the disaster.

“I assure the people of the Philippines, struck a few days ago by a powerful earthquake, of my closeness,” the pope said, according to the official English translation released by the Vatican.

“I pray for the deceased and their families, for the wounded and for all those suffering because of this disaster,” he added.

Vatican News also reported that Leo prayed for the victims of the earthquake, which struck off the coast of the Philippines on June 8 and triggered tsunami warnings across several countries.

Prior to becoming a bishop, Leo, then superior general of the Augustinian Order, visited the Philippines several times.

As of June 14, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported 61 deaths, 1,403 injured individuals and 40 missing persons following the earthquake.