ITALY: Bells rang out and trumpets sounded at midday in a grey and windy Piazza San Francesco in Assisi yesterday as leaders from 12 major religions came together to join Pope John Paul in a symbolic act of pan-religious solidarity in favour of peace in the world, writes Paddy Agnew
African Animists, Buddhists, Confucians, Hindus, Jains, Jews, Muslims, Shintoists, Sikhs, Tenrikyoists and Zoroastrians, as well as representatives of 31 Christian churches (including Anglicans, Protestants and Orthodox) all contributed to a colourful, multilingual ceremony held in the Umbrian town, best known as the spiritual home of St Francis and the scene of the first historic day of prayer for peace in October 1986.
Fifteen years ago, the Pope called the gathering against the background of Cold War tensions while yesterday's meeting, announced only last November, was prompted by the September 11th attacks on the US and the subsequent risk of tensions between East and West and in particular between Islam and Christianity.
Addressing the other leaders in a tarpaulin-covered piazza, the Pope explained the day's significance. "We have come to Assisi on a pilgrimage of peace. We wish to do our part in fending off the dark clouds of terrorism, hatred, armed conflict, which in these last few months have grown particularly ominous on humanity's horizon." The Pope looked and sounded well throughout a long and difficult day.
"It is essential therefore," he continued, "that religious people and communities should in the clearest and most radical way repudiate violence, all violence, starting with the violence that seeks to clothe itself in religion, appealing even to the most holy name of God to offend man.
"Today, as on October 27th, 1986, Assisi becomes once more the heart of a vast multitude of people calling for peace." He was speaking to an international press gallery which included the Qatar-based satellite TV, Al Jazeera, famous for its broadcasts of statements by Osama bin Laden.
Travelling with the Pope by rail from Rome were more than 200 religious leaders including Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeus; Bishop Richard Garrard (representing the Archbishop of Canterbury); Rabbi David Rosen, president of the International Council of Christians and Jews; the Vicar of Moscow, Metropolitan Pitrim (representing Russian Patriarch Alexis), and 25 senior Muslim clerics.
After being greeted by the Pope in a ceremony marked by a Buddhist monk's traditional chanted prayer, as well as by addresses from African Animist Chief Amadou Gasseto and Didi Talwalkar, a young female Hindu student, the religious leaders then moved on to pray separately, each according to their own tradition.
The third and final part of the day came in the afternoon when, to the accompaniment of the 13th century Canticle of the Creatures, the Pope and the other leaders made a commitment to peace before lighting a symbolic lamp of peace.
The spirit of the day was summed up by Japanese Buddhist Kojun Handa: "There used to be wars between different religions but now we pray together. This is going forward in a good way."