In April of last year, eighteen Polish miners lost their lives in two different coal mining accidents. Pope Francis met with the families of the victims.
POPE FRANCIS
I do not want to use words, but I want to tell you that I am close to you, very close.
The Pope assured the crowd that even in silence, God is always listening. He encouraged them to not be afraid of their feelings of anger and confusion, but instead, offer them as a prayer.
POPE FRANCIS
And the answer is: 'In the darkness the Lord is near. We do not know how, but he is near to us.'
At the end of the meeting, Pope Francis invited the families to take a moment of silent prayer.
AT