On Friday held a memorial service for the victims of the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia in 2004.
During a bright manifestation fell Queen Silvia in tears.
– The King and Queen thought it was very emotional, saying the court CIO Margaret Thorgren.
1800 people had been invited to the memorial service in Uppsala Cathedral on Friday afternoon. Present were, among other things, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, health minister Gabriel Wikstrom, strategy Minister Kristina Persson, Liberal Party leader Jan Björklund, archbishop Antje Jackelén, royal couple, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.
The queen wiped the tears
Stefan Löfven was “hard to find the right words” when he spoke during the service.
– No sorrow I felt in life can be compared with the many of you are living with. To love someone is among the most beautiful and at the same time most difficult one person can do. By loving, open up your life for such a great joy, but you also risk an abysmal despair, he said.
He urged the survivors to dare to show emotion after the disaster.
– What can people do after the loss of someone we love. We can carry with us the memories of love. There can never be taken away from us. We can love life, in all its fragility. We can see those who are close to us today, keep them and show what we feel for them. We gather today to honor all those who lost their lives in the tsunami disaster in December 2004. Your lives extinguished but the memory of your love shines in the darkness, he said.
During a bright manifestation, when hundreds of candles were lit in memory of the victims, took the feelings of Queen Silvia. Several times forced the Queen wiping away tears with a handkerchief. After the ceremony, she left the Collect for the benefit of the Swedish Church’s international work.
– The king and queen thought it was very emotional. Speech, solo singing and hymns together made the ceremony was strong and dignified, says the court CIO Margaret Thorgren.
“We have better preparedness”
After the disaster ten years ago criticized the Foreign Ministry for have lacked leadership during crisis work. Sweden has a significantly better prepared for similar events in the day, the Prime Minister said.
– All ministries in the government building has an emergency organization. It’s better organization within government offices but also between the government and authorities so that it faster to find out if anything happens. We are better prepared and more resources. But we should also respect the fact that it can always happen the unexpected and unpredictable, said Löfven Aftonbladet.
543 Swedes lost their lives in the disaster. Even more were injured and lost their relatives. According to a yet unpublished study, younger affected by the disaster fared worse than the adults who were injured or lost their relatives. Interviews, conducted with children who were between 10 and 15 years, shows how many suffer from post-traumatic stress.
– There must be assistance with counseling and other support based on individual needs. Obviously, we need to be there both as fellow human beings but also the professional conversation assistance needed to be able to help in school and in other ways, said Stefan Löfven.
“New meaning can emerge”
He described how he “share the grief” with all survivors.
– We understand that it is their sorrow but we share it and we in the rest of the country is there for support.
Even the archbishop Antje Jackelén spoke during the memorial service. She described how people become increasingly powerless in the face of repeated natural disasters, a consequence of how we treated our planet.
– We can build an Internet that encircles the world. We can reach to Mars and right into a comet nucleus. While we fly like a leaf when the forces of nature is unleashed, she said.
At the same time, she wanted to give hope to the survivors.
– Love is greater than all our missed opportunities to show care. New meaning can emerge from that which lacks meaning.
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