Pope urges peaceful end to Myanmar's "painful trial"

(Adds dissidents' appeal to Pope)

By Deepa Babington

VATICAN CITY, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Pope Benedict appealed on Sunday for a peaceful solution to the "extremely serious" events in Myanmar and expressed his solidarity with the country's impoverished population during their "painful trial".

The call came after a group of dissidents including a Myanmar opposition leader in exile urged the Pope to address the brutal crackdown on protests in the country formerly known as Burma during his weekly Angelus blessing.

State-run media have said at least 10 people have been killed after Myanmar's ruling junta clamped down on mass protests by Buddhist monks against 45 years of military rule. The junta also responded by arresting hundreds of monks, putting troops on the streets and barricading off central Yangon.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and many others have said they fear the loss of life is much higher.

"I follow with great trepidation the extremely serious events in Myanmar in these days and want to express my spiritual closeness to its dear population in this painful trial that it is going through," the Pope said, addressing the faithful at his summer residence outside Rome.

"While I offer my firm and intense prayers and invite the whole Church to do the same, I sincerely hope that a peaceful solution will be found, for the good of the country."

Opposition leader Sein Win who leads a self-proclaimed government-in-exile and the National Council of the Union of Burma wrote to the Pope on Saturday urging him to lend his support -- as the spiritual leader of the Catholic world -- to the protesters, an Italian union in touch with dissidents said.

"A public word, or even a gesture of encouragement would be of great value and extremely appreciated by all of the population, by Buddhist monks, Catholic workers ...that are going through a period of great suffering but also great hope for the creation of a free and peaceful Burma," the letter said.