On Sunday, Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of the earthquake that shook large swaths of land in Ecuador and parts of Peru.
During his weekly Sunday afternoon blessing, Francis noted that the 6.8-magnitude earthquake caused "deaths, injuries, and great damage."
"I'm close to the Ecuadorian people and assure them of my prayers for the dead and the suffering," Francis said.
Saturday's quake killed at least 15 people, injured hundreds, and destroyed homes and buildings in very different communities, from coastal areas to highlands. At least one death was in Peru.
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