Pope Francis prays for Seoul stampede victims

At the Angelus his thoughts for the young people killed by the stampede in the Korean capital, associated with the victims of terrorist violence in Mogadishu. Among the 153 deaths so far confirmed in Seoul were also citizens of several other countries including China, Iran, Russia and the United States. Commenting before the prayer on the passage of the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus, the pontiff said, "It is permissible to look down on a person only to help him rise."

 Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "We pray for those - especially young people - who died tonight in Seoul, from the tragic consequences of a sudden crowd crush." With these words Pope Francis today at the Angelus wanted to immediately express his closeness to South Korea in shock over tonight's tragedy when in the crush of Halloween celebrations in the Itaweon district, the one most frequented by young people.

The pontiff wished to express his condolences at the end of the Angelus prayer, recited as usual addressing the faithful present in St. Peter's Square. Francis associated the prayer for these broken lives with those taken away by terrorist violence in Mogadishu, in an attack that claimed more than 100 lives including many children. "May God convert the hearts of the violent," he commented.

In Seoul meanwhile, the death toll has risen to 153 confirmed dead, but among the dozens of injured are 19 in serious condition. For the vast majority, these are girls in their 20s and 30s who had been concentrated in clubs in this area of the Korean capital. The victims also include foreign nationals: according to Korean police reports, they are from China, Iran, Russia, the United States, France, Australia, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Norway, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Austria.

Before the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis had commented on the passage of Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus, proposed by the liturgy today. "God's gaze," Pope Francis noted, referring to the 'lowliness even within' of the tax collector on behalf of the Romans, "never stops at our past full of mistakes, but looks with infinite confidence at what we can become. And if at times we feel we are people of low stature, not up to the challenges of life let alone the Gospel, mired in problems and sins, Jesus always looks at us with love; as with Zacchaeus he comes to us, calls us by name and, if we welcome him, he comes to our home."

Hence the invitation to ask ourselves, "How do we look at ourselves? Do we feel inadequate and resign ourselves, or is it right there, when we feel down, that we seek an encounter with Jesus? And then: what gaze do we have toward those who have erred and are struggling to rise from the dust of their mistakes? Is it a gaze from above, judging, despising, excluding?"

"Let us remember," the pope concluded, "that it is permissible to look down on a person only to help him rise up. But we Christians must have the gaze of Christ, embracing from below, looking for those who are lost, with compassion. This is, and must always be, the gaze of the Church, the gaze of Christ."

• Pope Francis
• Angelus
• Seoul
• Halloween
• South Korea
• youth
• Mogadishu
• Zacchaeus
• mercy