Pope laments loss of life, damage wrought by deadly quake in China

Published: 2008-05-14

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI lamented the "serious loss of human life, the numerous homeless and the incalculable damage" wrought by a deadly earthquake centered under China's Sichuan province May 12. At the end of his May 14 general audience in St. Peter's Square, the pope called the magnitude 7.9 earthquake a "devastating calamity" and implored God to relieve the suffering and help those on the front lines offering emergency aid. The quake, which hit just after midday May 12, had its epicenter beneath Wenchuan County in Sichuan province. Wenchuan is less than 60 miles northwest of Chengdu, the provincial capital. By May 14, government officials reported more than 15,000 people had been killed in the quake, but the death toll was expected to rise. Officials said that in one city alone more than 19,000 people were buried in the rubble.

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