Scottish Catholic Observer

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, has expressed his ‘deep sympathy’ over the tragic deaths of 29 miners in the Pike River Mine, New Zealand.

In a letter to Archbishop John Atcherley, of Wellington, president of the Bishops’ Conference of New Zealand, the cardinal says that the thoughts of all of Scotland are with the families and friends of those who lost loved ones.

Two Scots, Peter Rodger from Perth and Malcolm Campbell from St Andrews, were among those miners who lost their lives following a gas explosion last Friday. A further explosion at the mine occurred on Wednesday, dashing hopes of any survivors being found alive, and a third explosion has since taken place today, almost exactly a week after the initial blast occurred.

In his letter Cardinal O’Brien speaks of the ‘family bonds,’ which link New Zealand and Scotland.

“Aware as we are of the deaths of two Scottish miners in the disaster, we are also aware of the family bonds which have united the people of New Zealand and the people of Scotland for very many years,” he says.

“Consequently, while our prayers were recently for the success of the rescue mission, now our prayers are that those who died in the disaster may be at rest with God—while their families and friends in New Zealand and in Scotland are consoled in some way by the thoughts of so many people throughout the world.”

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has warned it may take months to recover the men’s bodies, and pledged an investigation, saying the nation ‘needs answers.’

Alongside the two Scots, 24 New Zealanders, two Australians and a South African lost their lives in the mining blast.