Pope prays for peace in Georgia

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (AP) – Pope Benedict XVI yesterday called for the immediate creation of a humanitarian corridor to speed aid to refugees in Georgia and for respect for the rights of ethnic minorities caught up in the conflict pitting Russia and Georgia.

Benedict told pilgrims at his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo near Rome that he felt especially close to the victims and was following developments in Georgia with worry.

“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 overlooking a courtyard of the papal palace in Castel Gandolfo.

The Georgia-Russia war has left hundreds of people dead or missing, and the United Nations said the conflict has displaced about 100,000 civilians in Georgia and South Ossetia.