King Felipe VI of Spain accompanied and consoled the relatives of the victims of last month’s deadly train crash in Urda, Toledo, at a memorial service held on Tuesday evening.
The event notably counted with the absence of socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who reportedly affirmed he does not attend “religious services” on secular grounds despite having done so several times in the past.
According to Spanish outlets, Sánchez instead spent his Tuesday afternoon recording a podcast interview expected to be released online on November 13 as he readies for the snap general election he called.
The King and his wife, Queen Letizia, attended the memorial service organized by the Archdiocese of Toledo at the Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in tribute of the victims of the tragic train crash that killed 69 people on the morning hours of October 28.
Per Antena 3, the Spanish royals sat on two seats next to the rows of chairs occupied by the victims relatives, while other front-row seats were reserved for the volunteers and first responders involved in the emergency and government officials. About 1,600 individuals reportedly attended the memorial service.
During his homily, Monsignor Francisco Cerro Chaves, Archbishop of Toledo, called upon for the causes of the train accident to be clarified, for the “appropriate responsibilities” to be assumed, and for “justice to be served to the victim’s families, and all necessary measures to be taken” to ensure that a another tragedy of that nature never happens again.
“The death of so many people, the suffering of the wounded, and the anguish of those who have lost loved ones confront us with the mystery of human frailty,” the Archbishop said, per Antena 3.
“We know that behind every life cut short there is a love story, a family, plans, hopes, and so many shared moments that are now just memories,” he continued, and, citing Pope Leo XIV, added, “Tears are a silent cry that pleads for compassion and comfort. It is a language that speaks to our frailty and the trials we face. Our faith always opens us to hope.”
Monsignor Cerro Chaves affirmed to the grieving train crash families “you are not alone.”
Spanish outlets detailed that after the memorial service finished, King Felipe and Queen Letizia approached the relatives of the victims to salute and console them, one by one.
The public broadcaster RTVE noted that the Spanish royals first visited the relatives of the victims on October 29 when the bodies of the deceased were still being identified. RTVE also detailed that 69 candles were lit in honor of the victims at the start of the ceremony.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, for his part, did not attend the memorial service citing his alleged “secularity” as head of state.
The Spanish newspaper ABC, however, explained that Sánchez has in fact attended at least six different religious services as Prime Minister ever since he took office in 2018.
The official website of the La Moncloa Palace detailed in May that Sánchez accompanied the Spanish royals during a Mass presided by Pope Leo XIV in Barcelona that month.
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