VATICAN CITY -- In his weekly Wednesday address, Pope Francis talked about people risking their lives to bury others in warzones, and remembered the deceased Brazilian football players who died in the tragic plane crash in Colombia.   

 “In some areas of the world, which suffer from the scourges of war with bombings day and night and innocent victims, this work of benevolence is sadly current,” said the pontiff, referring to burying the dead.

 “Even today, there are those who risk their lives to bury the victims of war, therefore this work is not so distant from our own daily existence, from what goes on.”

 “Yesterday a good man came to mass at Santa Marta -- he was a businessman but he had to close his factory because he could not manage anymore, and this young man was crying and saying ‘I don’t want to leave over 50 families without work, I could declare the business bankrupt and go home with my money, but my heart will always suffer my whole life for these families.’ That is a good Christian,” continued the pope.

 “I would like to remember today the pain of the Brazilian people for the tragedy of the local football team, and I would like to pray for the dead players and for their families,” concluded Francis, referring to the plane carrying the Chapecoense football team, which crashed in Colombia Tuesday, killing 71 players, journalists and crew members.

 nkd