Pope prays for fellow Germans

Pope Benedict has expressed his sorrow, and said prayers for the victims of crushing at the Love Parade in his native Germany this past weekend.

After Sunday's Angelus he said, "I learned with sadness of the tragedy that occurred in Duisburg, Germany, where many young people were killed.  I ask the comfort and nearness of the Holy Spirit for their relatives and friends who are grieving and for those who were injured."

Nineteen people died and up to 350 were injured as a result of a stampede at a musical festival called the Love Parade, in Duisburg, Germany on Saturday night.  It appears there was only one entrance to the festival, and overcrowding in and around the tunnel, caused a panic, and people were crushed as they struggled to escape.

As many as 1.4 million people were expected at the Love Parade, an event originally setup to promote peace.  The first parade took place in the German capital city just months before the fall of the Berlin Wall.  This year its theme was The Art of Love.

Organiser Rainer Schaller said the event would never be held again out of respect for the victims.

“The Love Parade was always a peaceful event and a happy party," he said but it would forever be overshadowed by the tragedy.  He said he would cooperate with authorities who have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the panic.

by Ann Marie Foley