The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches has written to faith communities in Belgium to express his sympathy after 28 people died in a coach crash in Switzerland.
The coach was carrying teachers and schoolchildren back to Lommel and Heverlee, in Belgium, at the end of a ski trip when it veered into the side of a tunnel on the A9 near Sierre.
The victims included 22 children, among them 11-year-old British boy Sebastian Bowles, who was a pupil at St Lambertus School in Heverlee.
The Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit extended his "heart-felt sympathy" and the "assurance that our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragedy".
"Words alone are inadequate to express our sorrow on hearing of Tuesday evening’s coach crash in Sierre, Switzerland with the loss of many precious lives, and so we place our trust in the Holy Spirit to pray in our prayers, to begin the process of alleviating human pain, and to aid us in our witness and service to those who grieve most deeply," he said.
Belgium is holding a day of national mourning to remember the victims of the tragedy. A minute's silence was observed today at 10:00 GMT and flags are flying at half mast across the country.
The bodies are being flown back to Belgium today on military aircraft.
Dr Tveit said "whole communities" would be crucial to the recovery of individuals and families.
After such a tragedy, he added that the "support we offer one another in faith is crucial to building the future".
-
Evangelical vicar accused of abuse won't stand trial
-
Christians protest LGBT nativity play where Jesus is 'King of the Gays'
-
Sarah Mullally reiterates apology as safeguarding record comes under the spotlight
-
The mystery of the Wise Men
-
The origins of ‘traditional’ Christmas celebrations
-
Pro-life campaigner who silently prayed in abortion clinic buffer zone criminally charged
Most Popular
News
The first Christmas song to be sung in churches
Every Christmas, people sing the song “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night”. Unlike many other songs and carols that include elements of non-biblical tradition and myth, this song is pure Scripture. It was the first Christmas song authorised to be sung in the Church of England. This is the story …
The story of the Christmas Truce of 1914
On Christmas Eve in 1914, many men were in the trenches fighting the war, but the spirit of Christmas halted the conflict for a brief period. This is the story …
Report highlights injustices experienced by Christians in the Holy Land
Jerusalem Church leaders have released a report detailing the struggles and challenges currently faced be Christians living in the Holy Land.
Have you lost the wonder of Christmas?
For you who have been followers of Jesus Christ for a long time, maybe the pain and suffering of this world and the darkness you have had to live through this past year has gotten you down to the point of complete and utter discouragement. But all is not lost.