In rare gesture, pope prays for Malta after journalist slain
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pope Francis has sent a letter of condolences to Malta following the car bomb slaying of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
In a highly unusual gesture from the pope over the death of a private citizen, Francis said Friday he was praying for Caruna Galizia's family and the Maltese people as a whole "at this difficult moment."
He said he was "saddened by the tragic death."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The overwhelmingly Catholic nation has been stunned by this week's slaying.
The letter of condolence was addressed to Malta Archbishop Charles Scicluna, a longtime Vatican official before he was made a bishop in his native Malta in 2012.