Pope John Paul II Prays For Rain

VATICAN CITY (WN) -- Pope John Paul the second has led prayers in Rome asking for rain.

The pontiff called for an end to the calamity that has blazed across Europe because of high temperatures.

"I ask you to join me in my prayer for the victims of this calamity and urge all of you to ask the Lord fervently to grant the thirsty Earth the coolness of rain," the Pope said.

He said he regretted the damage done to the environment from fires in Greece, Portugal and the Netherlands.

He was speaking at Castel Gondolfo, a lakeside town where the weather is generally cooler for the 83-year-old Pontiff.