Pope makes historic mosque visit

John Paul II has become the first pope to enter a mosque.

The Pope went as a pilgrim to the Omayyad mosque in Damascus. Christian pilgrims regularly enter the mosque to see a shrine believed to contain the head of John the Baptist.

But a planned joint Muslim-Christian prayer at the mosque was cancelled, apparently because of fears of wounding Muslim sensitivities.

Vatican and Syrian officials described the visit as a significant development in Catholic-Muslim relations.

The Pope called on Muslims, Christians and Jews to work together to bring peace to the Middle East.

Vatican and Syrian flags decorated the historic mosque.

Earlier, to cheers of "Pope John Paul II, we love you!", the Roman pontiff, dressed in gold robes, entered a Damascus soccer stadium for a Mass that attracted thousands.

"In this holy land, Christians, Muslims and Jews are called to work together with confidence and boldness and to work to bring about without delay the day when the legal rights of all peoples are respected and they can live in peace and mutual understanding," he told the crowd, speaking in French.