Pope urges world to avoid war

Believers of different religions around the world put their differences aside yesterday to heed Pope John Paul's call for a day of prayer and fasting against war in Iraq.

From Rome to Rwanda, from Buenos Aires to Berlin, faithful of all colours adhered to the pope's invitation to make this Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, a day of peace.

The 82-year-old pope urged leaders to make every effort to spare humanity what he called "a dramatic conflict" in Iraq.

"Everyone has to knowingly assume their responsibility and make a common effort to spare humanity another dramatic conflict," he said at his general audience.

"As we enter the period of Lent, we must take into account the international situation, which is buffeted by threatening tensions of war," the pope said.

Minutes after the pope spoke, demonstrators unfurled a 25-metre, rainbow-coloured peace flag under his window in St Peter's Square.

"No War, No War, No War," they chanted, their numbers swelled by pilgrims and tourists leaving the modern audience hall where they heard the pope make his appeal.

In Britain, the General Synod of the Anglican Church called on its 70 million followers worldwide to observe the day.

Catholics held prayers in Rwanda, Senegal, Argentina, India and in predominantly Muslim Indonesia.

"We are praying especially for peace in the Middle East, the Holy Land and in Iraq, as the pope has asked," Father Adriano Pamoseputro, a priest in Jakarta, told the Rome-based missionary news agency Fides.

In Geneva, the World Council of Churches, which speaks for most Christian faiths other than the Roman Catholic, also urged the faithful to pray for peace yesterday.

Churches in Paris, including Notre Dame cathedral, put up posters proclaiming yesterday as the day of prayer for peace.

Paris Cardinal, Jean-Marie Lustiger, asked believers to say a lunchtime prayer for peace throughout the Lent period.

"Why do it? Because in order to solve conflicts peacefully instead of waging war we must overcome, in the hearts of all men, egoism, pride and arrogance, hate, lies, violence," he said in a statement.

The pope's appeal at the Vatican came as Washington ploughed ahead with a huge military build-up in the Gulf region in preparation for an attack on Iraq.

The pontiff has thrust himself into the centre of diplomatic activity to avert war and has held talks with several world political leaders.