EXTRA Pope Francis sends 150,000 dollars in earthquake relief aid to Mexico

Rome (dpa) - Pope Francis is sending 150,000 dollars in relief aid to Mexico after a 7.1-magnitude tremor killed more than 220 people.
The money will be distributed to the most affected regions and is a sign of the pope's"spiritual closeness and fatherly support"for the victims, a Vatican statement said on Thursday.
Argentina-born Francis is the first-ever Latin American pope. He visited Mexico in February 2016.
On Wednesday, a day after the quake struck, the pontiff said it was a"time of sorrow"for Mexico and offered prayers to the nation's patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe.