(adds Bertone travelling on Thursday, paragraph 3)

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Pope Benedict is sending his top aide, Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, to Peru to show his solidarity with the victims of this week's earthquake.

The Pontiff said on Sunday Bertone had long planned to visit the predominantly Catholic country and would "in the next few days personally bring testimony of my feelings and the concrete help of the Holy See".

Bertone later told reporters he would go on Thursday. The 8.0 magnitude quake killed more than 500 people and left thousands homeless.

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