Pope Francis mourns drowned girl, orphaned kids

Pope Francis on Saturday clutched the life-jacket of a drowned girl as he met with children whose parents died during deadly boat crossings, at the end of a week of major tragedies in the Mediterranean.

The pope met migrant minors as well as Italian youngsters who let off dozens of white balloons inside Vatican grounds.

The children pledged to help those in need and presenting Pope Francis with drawings capturing the dangers at sea.

He showed them a life-jacket which he said had been taken from a girl who had drowned at sea.

It was given to him by a rescue worker who had wept as he described his doomed attempts to save her.

“He brought me this life-jacket and, crying, he said: ‘Father, I failed. There was a girl, in the waves, but I could not save her. All that is left is her life-jacket,’” Pope Francis said.

“I don’t want to upset you, but you are brave and you know the truth. They are in danger: many children... They are in danger,” the pope told the children.