Francis shared his pain with the public at St. Peter’s Square, saying that he was very hurt by last week’s events in Guayaquil prison. He described a “terrible explosion in violence among inmates from rival gangs.”
Francis stated, “May God heal the wounds that crime enslaves the poorest,” He also asked God to help “all those working every day in prison to make life more humane.”
The South American pontiff prayed for the deceased, the injured, and their families.
After a fight between gang members that left at least 118 dead and 79 injured, Ecuador’s president declared an emergency in its prison system. This was in response to what authorities called the worst prison bloodbath in Ecuador’s history. Officials claim at least five of those killed were beheaded.