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HURRICANES-POPE Sep-26-2005 (300 words) xxxi
Pope appeals for prayers for people affected by natural disasters
By Catholic News Service
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI appealed for prayers for all those hit by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
He said his thoughts were with those who were "affected by the natural disasters in the United States and other parts of the world" when he addressed English-speaking visitors present at his Sept. 25 Angelus blessing at the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.
"I invite you to join me in prayer to the Lord for all those who suffer, for the victims and their loved ones, and for the rescue workers," he said.
He asked that "God grant them consolation and strength in their trials."
Initial reports had only two dead from Hurricane Rita, and Texas and Louisiana officials credited the evacuation of 3 million people with helping prevent widespread fatalities. Two dozen evacuees were killed in a bus fire near Dallas before the storm hit.
Rita made landfall on the Gulf Coast along the Louisiana-Texas line Sept. 24, reducing fishing communities and coastal resorts to rubble. Along the central Louisiana coastline, a storm surge and floodwaters pushed water up to 9 feet. Hundreds of thousands of people remained without power, and some Louisiana parishes reportedly were still searching for people in rural areas who did not evacuate.
In New Orleans, some levees -- repaired after damage caused after Hurricane Katrina hit Aug. 29 -- broke again, causing flooding in some sections of the city that remained largely empty after people fled Katrina. More than 80 percent of New Orleans was flooded in early September.
Katrina's death toll was more than 1,000, primarily in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Residents who fled Katrina remained marooned in cities around the United States, although some were planning to return to their home states in late September.
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Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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