Pope Francis has sent a letter of condolence to Malta following the car bomb killing of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
In a highly unusual gesture from the pope over the death of a private citizen, Francis said he is praying for Ms Caruna Galizia’s family and the Maltese people as a whole "at this difficult moment".
He said he was "saddened by the tragic death".
Vigil for murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia gets under way in #Malta pic.twitter.com/ooq0UecDP2
— Jacob Borg (@BorgJake) October 16, 2017
The overwhelmingly Catholic nation has been stunned by the bombing.
The letter of condolence was addressed to Malta Archbishop Charles Scicluna, a long-time Vatican official before he was made a bishop in his native Malta in 2012.
Outraged to hear that Maltese investigative journalist+blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia has been murdered this afternoon not far from her home with a car bomb. I issue a €20k reward for information leading to the conviction of her killers. Her blog: https://t.co/XQCEXBKYn3 pic.twitter.com/ITHlBRzr0J
— Defend Assange Campaign (@DefendAssange) October 16, 2017