The following is the Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of the Ecumenical Prayer Vigil on the thirtieth day in memory of the victims of the fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland:

Message of the Holy Father

It is with deep emotion that I address all of you who are gathered here in sorrow and pain, one month after the tragic fire in Crans-Montana that claimed many victims. You have lost a loved one, or one of your relatives is still suffering – perhaps for a long time to come – from injuries that will mark them for life.

I simply wish to express my closeness and affection to you, together with that of the whole Church, who, through her maternal presence, desires – as far as possible – to bear your burden with you, and who prays to the Lord Jesus to sustain your faith in this trial. I hope that you will find in your priests and Christian communities the fraternal and spiritual support you need to overcome your grief and to remain courageous.

In this hours, when your souls are afflicted not only by suffering, but also by incomprehension and the feeling of abandonment, I can only entrust you to the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, who holds you close to her heart and invites you to look with her to the Cross, one which her beloved Jesus also suffered and gave his life. On the Cross, the Son of God – God in person – wished to share in what you are experiencing today. He will also share with you his glorious and blessed resurrection. For Jesus is truly risen! This is the sweet certainty that the Holy Church proclaims with confidence and serenity, and on which our immense hope is founded. The hope of one day seeing again those you have lost, the hope also that, even here on earth, a new day will dawn for you, and that joy will return to your hearts.

Be absolutely certain of this, as Saint Paul affirms: neither death nor life, neither the present nor the future, neither trials nor separation nor suffering... nothing can separate you and your loved ones from the love of God that is in Christ (cf. Rom 8:38). And nothing of the beauty and happiness you experienced with them is lost forever; nothing is finished!

This is why, if Mary invites you, in these sad and dark days, to look at the Cross, she also invites you to look at Heaven, which is always bright. By firmly grasping the anchor of hope that is firmly fixed there and that Jesus offers you (cf. Heb 6:19), you will receive the strength and courage to persevere and continue on your journey.

As I bear this intention in my prayers, and ask the Lord for repose for your departed loved ones and relief for those you love, I wholeheartedly give you my affectionate Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 28 January 2026

LEO PP. XIV