Pope gives praise at Pompeii shrine

POPE Benedict XVI travelled to a shrine near the ruins of ancient Pompeii and prayed for all people in pain or difficulty, saying faith can promote personal and social recovery.

The Pope celebrated an open-air Mass in front of the 19th century shrine to the cheers of tens of thousands of faithful.

“How can we forget, in this moment, the people who suffer, the sick, the elderly who are alone, the youths in difficulty, the inmates, those who are in poverty and in social and economic distress?” said Benedict during his homily.