The pontiff, born in Chicago (USA) 69 years ago, wished to express “his heartfelt condolences to all the families who have lost their loved ones, in particular to his daughters who were at summer camp during the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River,” caused by the fall in just a few hours of a third of the rain that falls throughout an entire year.

“We pray for them,” said the Pope at the end of the Sunday Angelus prayer in a moving message in English before the thousands of people present in St. Peter's Square. The death toll from the flooding has risen to 52, according to authorities in several communities affected by the disaster, the first of which is Kerr County, east of San Antonio.

Search continues

Rescue services continued their work in Texas on Sunday to try to find 27 girls and teenagers who disappeared during the flooding, which was caused by torrential rains in the center of the state on Friday. The Guadalupe River rose eight meters in just 45 minutes, making a response impossible.

Local authorities did not want to specify an exact number of missing people due to the large number of people from outside the region who were visiting and camping in the area for the July 4th festivities. It is expected that in the coming days it will be possible to establish a number as the flooding ceases and the reporting of missing persons is organized.