Aug 18, 2010 / 09:05 am
Benedict XVI remembered the people of Pakistan in his prayers on Wednesday as he appealed to the international community not to hold back in their assistance to those who are suffering greatly from weeks of flooding.
Flooding, which began at the end of July in Pakistan, has led to an estimated 1,600 deaths and left more than two million people homeless, according to an Aug. 18 Reuters report.
During Wednesday's general audience at Castel Gandolfo, the Pope entrusted the dead to the "merciful goodness of God" and expressed "spiritual closeness" to their relatives and all who are suffering as a result of this "calamity."
"May our solidarity and the concrete support of the international community not be lacking for these brothers of ours, [who are being] so greatly tested," he said.