More than 2,000 people attended an emotional Mass at La Almudena cathedral in Madrid yesterday for the 154 victims of Spanair flight JK5022 which crashed at Madrid’s Barajas airport on August 20th 2008.
The funerals of the 154 crash victims was postponed from September 1st due to difficulty in identifying many of the bodies.
The Mass was given by the Archbishop of Madrid, Antonio María Rouco Varela, and presided over by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. A number of leading politicians, including Prime Minister Zapatero, also attended the funeral service.
After giving communion to those present, the Archbishop of Madrid gave way to the Bishop of the Anglican Church, Carlos López Lozano, who offered prayers on behalf of the Anglican and evangelical churches.
A second funeral service will be held on September 17th at the Cathedral of Santa Ana in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Many of the victims of the crash were from the Canary Islands. The service will start at 19:00.