New Delhi, Jan. 16 -- Pope Leo XIV sought Thursday to console the families of Italian teenagers who were killed or injured in the New Year's fire in a Swiss ski resort bar, acknowledging their anguish and urging them to try to find hope in "the darkest and most painful moments" of their lives.

Leo met with around two dozen relatives of the Italian victims in the Vatican, deviating from his prepared speech to tell them that he had immediately agreed to meet with them after learning of their desire to have an audience.

"I wanted at least to have the opportunity to share a moment that for you, amid so much pain and suffering, is truly a test of our faith, a test of what we believe," he told them.

The families later met with Italian govern...