Pope sends rare condolence after Malta journalist is slain

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis today joined the chorus of shock over the car bomb slaying of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, sending a note expressing his condolences Friday to the overwhelmingly Catholic island nation.

Popes often send telegrams of condolences after deadly natural disasters or the deaths of prominent world leaders. Rarely does the death of a private citizen elicit a formal letter of condolence signed by the Vatican secretary of state in the pope's name.

In the telegram, Francis said he was "saddened by the tragic death" of Caruana Galizia and was praying for her family, the Maltese people and the nation as a whole "at this difficult moment."

It was addressed to Valletta Archbishop Charles Scicluna, a longtime Vatican official before he was made a bishop in his homeland in 2012. Scicluna has condemned the "brutal murder" and appealed for "a unified resolve to promote true democracy."

Malta has been stunned by Monday's slaying of Caruana Galizia, an anti-corruption investigative reporter whose inquests probed the business dealings of Malta's leading politicians.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat – a frequent target of Caruana Galizia – is facing pressure to declare a national day of mourning as well as to ensure an independent and thorough investigation. A government spokesman said any decision about declaring a day of mourning was dependent on plans for the funeral, which still hadn't been set pending the outcome of an autopsy.

The 53-year-old journalist's three sons have urged Muscat to resign, saying he should take political responsibility for "failing to uphold our fundamental freedoms" by not rooting out the corruption that their mother helped uncover.