Pope prays for peace amid war

Pope John Paul today dedicated his dawn mass to peace after being informed that the attack on Iraq had begun.

Cardinal Pio Laghi, who recently met US President George Bush as part of the pontiff’s anti-war campaign, said the Pope would continue to pray for peace. “Perhaps he still has a role to play,” he said.

Laghi reiterated that the Vatican’s diplomatic mission in Baghdad was staying open throughout the attack.

“We also have a religious role to play,” he said.

The Pope has been a staunch opponent of a war in Iraq, saying there was no moral or legal justification and that it would harm relations between Christians and Muslims.