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Pope Benedict prays for peace and aid for Georgia

Pope Benedict on Sunday called for the opening of humanitarian corridors to speed aid to refugees in Georgia.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 15:17 August 17, 2008
  • Gulf News

Castelgandolfo, Italy: Pope Benedict on Sunday called for the opening of humanitarian corridors to speed aid to refugees in Georgia.

Pope Benedict also expressed concern for ethnic minorities caught up in the conflict and urged people that the ethnic minorities' “fundamental rights be never trampled.''

The pope said he was following with concern the situation in Georgia, particularly the plight of those displaced by the war and lacking "even the basics to survive".

"I call for the opening, without delay, of a humanitarian corridor between the region of southern Ossetia and the rest of Georgia, so that the dead, still abandoned, can receive a dignified burial, the wounded can be properly treated, and those who want to reach their loved ones can do so," Benedict said, speaking from a window of the papal palace in Castel Gandolfo.

The pope also expressed hope that a ceasefire between Georgian and Russian forces would turn into a stable peace.

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