Pope Francis will invite families of those victimized in April's ferry disaster to a papal Mass during his upcoming visit to South Korea and deliver a message of condolence to them, local Roman Catholic church officials said Thursday.
"The pope will console the victims' families through an invitation to a Mass and other ways because he is well aware what the Sewol tragedy means to Korean society," a church official said, requesting not to be named. "He may separately meet the families depending on the situation."
   The pope is scheduled to visit South Korea on Aug. 14-18 to participate in two major Catholic events -- the Sixth Asian Youth Day event and a ceremony to beatify 124 Korean Catholic martyrs.