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Pope Benedict XVI holds a balloon at the end of his weekly general audience in Saint Peter's square at the Vatican October 10, 2007. REUTERS/Tony Gentile (VATICAN)

Ancona soccer club's Giovanni Langella shows his team's No. 16 jersey to be given to Pope Benedict XVI, during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Wednesday Oct. 10, 2007. The pontiff met Italian third division Ancona team Wednesday, praising the club for signing on to a program by a Christian sports organization that seeks to promote ethics in soccer. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)

Pope Benedict XVI greets a Buddhist monk, during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday Oct. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)

HOLY FATHER CALLS FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION IN MYANMAR

VATICAN CITY, SEP 30, 2007 (VIS) - In his comments following today's Angelus at Castelgandolfo the Pope expressed the hope that a peaceful solution may be found to the problems currently afflicting Myanmar, and encouraged dialogue between North Korea and South Korea as a way to stability and peace in the entire region.

"I am following the grave events of these days in Myanmar with great concern," he said, "and I wish to express my spiritual closeness to that dear people at this moment of painful trial. As I give assurances of my solidary and intense prayer and invite the entire Church to do the same, it is my heartfelt hope that a peaceful solution be found, for the good of the nation.

"I also entrust to your prayers the situation on the Korean peninsula where a number of important developments in dialogue between the two Koreas are giving rise to hope that the current efforts towards reconciliation may be consolidated, to the advantage of the Korean people and to the benefit of stability and peace in the entire region."

The Pope then went on to greet pilgrims in Polish, recalling that today at Nysa, in the Polish diocese of Opole, the beatification had taken place of Servant of God Mary Louise Merkert, Polish religious, co-foundress and first superior general of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth (1817-1872). "She," said the Holy Father, "stood out for her concern for the sick, the poor and the abandoned. May the witness of Mary Louise's life be an encouragement for us to see the face of Christ in the needy."

ANG/MYANMAR:KOREA:BLESSED/...VIS 071001 (280)

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