A German church pastor in Andreas Lubitz ’ s hometown insisted yesterday that the community stands by the killer co-pilot , as well as his family . Pastor Michael Dietrich , from the Lutheran church in Montabaur , spoke out following the fatal crash that claimed the lives of 150 people . Among the dead in the French Alps disaster was 27-year-old Lubitz , who investigators say deliberately flew the plane into a mountain last Tuesday . Scroll down for video . Priest : Michael Dietrich , of the Lutheran church in co-pilot Andeas Lubitz 's hometown of Montabaur , said the community stands by his family . Arrivals : Mr Dietrich ( right ) welcomes people at the church entrance in Montabaur , Germany , before a service to commemorate the victims . Community spirit : People leave the church in Montabaur , following the service to commemorate the crash victims and support their families . Elsewhere , Pope Francis yesterday remembered the dead as he opened solemn Holy Week services in front of some 70,000 faithful at the Vatican . Mr Dietrich said : ‘ For us , it makes it particularly difficult that the only victim from Montabaur is suspected to have caused this tragedy. ’ He added : ‘ The co-pilot , the family belong to our community , and we stand by this , and we embrace them and will not hide this. ’ The pastor added that there is no direct contact with the family at the moment , but that he believes they are receiving good assistance . French prosecutors have not yet questioned the family ‘ out of decency and respect for their pain ’ , Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said . Mr Dietrich said he knew Lubitz as a teenager , when he undertook religious education 13 years ago , and his mother , a part-time organist . Solemn procession : Pope Francis marks a Palm Sunday Mass in St Peter 's Square at the Vatican yesterday , five days after the plane crash . Mass : Pope Francis yesterday remembered those killed in the crash as he opened solemn Holy Week services in front of some 70,000 faithful . Remembered : At the end of Palm Sunday Mass outside St Peter 's Basilica in the Vatican , Francis prayed for those who died in the tragedy . He added : ‘ When I worked with her or talked to her , it was very good and very harmonious . We had good conversations . I know her and her family . 'This does not make sense . It is incomprehensible for me , for us , for everyone who knew her and the family . 'From what I 've heard , there were no obvious signs that there is anything in the background that could lead to this. ’ Meanwhile Francis prayed for those who died in the tragedy , at the end of Palm Sunday Mass outside St Peter 's Basilica yesterday . The 78-year-old pontiff cited in particular the 16 German students returning on Flight 4U9525 from an exchange trip to Spain . In addition , another pastor in Montabaur , Father Johannes Seemann , added that the community was grieving with the Lubitz family , reported Bild . Together : People attend a special Mass to honour the victims of the crash , at the cathedral Notre Dame de Bourg , in Digne-les-Bains , France . Co-pilot : The disaster killed 150 people , including Andreas Lubitz ( above ) who investigators say deliberately crashed the jet into the mountain . On guard : Police near the house where Lubitz lived in Montabaur - a community that is struggling to come to terms with the past week 's events . Two wardens at his service asked God : ‘ Have you forgotten the people who were sitting on the plane from Barcelona ? Why did not you protect them ? ’ In Le Vernet , a town near the crash site , families and friends of those killed were still coming to terms with what had happened . ‘ Members of the family shed tears as they went to see the site , ’ said Ippei Yamanaka , co-worker of Japanese passenger Junichi Sato who died in the crash . ‘ It was particularly moving to see Mr Sato 's father asking the leader of the Kempeitai ( a Japanese military rescue team ) , with many tears in his eyes , for them to continue the search operation and for it to finish earlier even by just one day . ‘ His wife says she still she can not believe what has happened , saying that it almost feels like her husband is away on his business trip and that it still feels like he is going to return soon. ’ Among the tributes left near the crash site in France included one saying : ‘ I thank you for everything . You have given me a wonderful life , full of beautiful things . ’
Disaster killed 150 people including co-pilot Andreas Lubitz who 'deliberately crashed plane into the mountain ' Pastor Michael Dietrich , from the Lutheran church in Lubitz 's hometown Montabaur , speaks out after crash . Two wardens at another local service ask God : 'Have you forgotten the people who were sitting on the plane ? ' German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is "shocked" by a report that says her interior minister knew about an alleged plan to cover up evidence of migrant sex attacks committed against women and girls as the 16 German students - at end of Palm Sunday Mass .