Pope urges international generosity for Myanmar

Pope Benedict urged the international community on Tuesday to provide generous and effective aid to help Burma deal with the death and disaster caused by a cyclone.

In a telegram sent in his name to the Catholic bishops of the country once known as Burma, the Vatican expressed the pope's deep sadness and heartfelt sympathy and assured his prayers for the victims and their families.

The telegram said the pope was "confident that the international community will respond with generous and effective relief to the needs" of the country.

The cyclone that slammed Burma's Irrawaddy delta triggered a massive wave, killing at least 15,000 and leaving 30,000 others missing and several hundred thousand homeless, according to officials.

It was the worst cyclone to hit Asia since 1991, when 143,000 people died in Bangladesh.