Pope John Paul II said today he would pray for peace in Iraq and the Middle East on his week-long Lent retreat.
"During this week of silence and prayer I will keep in mind the needs of the church and the preoccupations of the whole of humanity, especially regarding peace in Iraq and the Holy Land," a tired-looking pope told hundreds of faithful in St Peter's Square this morning.
During this annual retreat the Pope holds no private or public audiences.
In the past he has rarely emerged from the retreat he takes during Lent, a 40-day period leading up to Easter during which Christians are asked to make personal sacrifices and help those less well off.
Despite suffering from Parkinson's disease and sometimes crippling arthritis, the 82-year-old Pope has thrown himself into the campaign against a possible war in Iraq, making repeated appeals for peace and receiving foreign leaders.
AFP