When Mbengue Nyimbilo Crepin told Pope Francis of his harrowing journey to Italy and about the deaths of his wife and 6-year-old daughter in the desert along the border between Libya and Tunisia, the pope told him he had been praying for them since July.
Nyimbilo, known as “Pato,” sobbed Nov 17 as he shared the story of his family being forced to leave Tunisia, crossing the desert to Libya on foot. He collapsed but urged his wife and daughter to continue.
He eventually made it to Libya, but then he saw photos on social media of his wife and child dead in the desert, according to a report in July by the Associated Press. Libyan border guards said they found a dozen migrants dead in the desert after Tunisia expelled them.