POPE JOHN PAUL'S ANGELUS REFLECTIONS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 14, 1999 (VIS) - Before praying the noon angelus, Pope John Paul reflected on the celebration today in Italy of Thanksgiving Day, upon his recently concluded trip to India and Georgia and on the many recent disasters in various parts of the world.

"Thanksgiving Day," he said, "invites us to give thanks to God for the fruits of the earth. At the end of one agricultural season and the start of another, we ask for the divine blessing on the countryside and the rural world so that the Lord will sustain those who dedicate themselves to working in the fields."

"In addition to these thanks to the Lord for the fruits of the earth," the Holy Father continued, "I would like to add my thanks for my recent pilgrimage in India and Georgia, which I will be speaking about during next Wednesday's general audience. This great spiritual experience constitutes a further stage on the path of the new evangelization, towards the Great Jubilee of the year 2000."

Lastly, John Paul II recalled the numerous disasters which have occurred in recent days and weeks, all of which have resulted in loss of life, including the collapse of a building in Foggia, Italy, the crash of a World Food Program plane in Kosovo, "with deserving volunteers aboard," another violent earthquake in Turkey and the disappearance of an Egyptair plane into the Atlantic.

"I ask you to pray for the many victims and I express my closeness and my solidarity to all those who are suffering as a result of these immense tragedies."

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