President of the Government attends ceremony for victims of plane crash in French Alps

Sagrada Familia Basilica, Barcelona

In addition to the families of the victims of the tragedy, the ceremony was attended by 150 pupils from the secondary school Giola de Llinars del Vallès (Barcelona) where a group of Germany school-children who died in the accident had taken part on a school exchange programme.

Their Majesties King Felipe and Queen Letizia headed up the institutional representation at the tribute, which was also attended by the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, the Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, the Minister for Justice, Rafael Catalá, the Minister for Home Affairs, Jorge Fernández Díaz, the Minister for Public Works, Ana Pastor, the Speakers of the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament, Pío García-Escudero and Jesús Posada, respectively, the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Francisco Pérez de los Cobos, and the President of the Regional Government of Catalonia, Artur Mas, among other authorities. Representatives from various countries and rescue teams were also present at the ceremony.

The Cardinal and Archbishop of Barcelona, Lluís Martínez Sistach, officiated at the funeral mass, following which various representatives of Evangelical, Jewish and Muslim faiths also participated.