Pope prays for earthquake victims in Pakistan

Pope Francis on Wednesday offered prayers for the victims of an earthquake that struck near the Iranian border with Pakistan, which killed more than 30 people in a neighbouring region of Pakistan.
``I learned with sadness of the violent earthquake that struck the peoples of Iran and Pakistan, bringing death, suffering and destruction,’’ he said during his weekly audience in Saint Peter's Square.

The pontiff spoke before some 50,000 people, according to Vatican estimates.
Before the ceremony, he toured the square to greet the faithfuls.
He accepted a new zucchetto - a papal skullcap - from a member of the crowd, giving him his old one.
In one of the Twitter messages that normally accompany his weekly audiences, the pope preached ``daily fidelity’’ to God's will, ``even when it requires sacrifice’’.
After his speech, he was given several presents by the faithful, including a shirt from the Barcelona football team bearing the name of fellow Argentinian Lionel Messi and the number 10.
Francis is a football fan.