Pope Calls for Religious Tolerance
ASTANA, Kazakstan (AP) - Pope John Paul II issued a powerful call Sunday for Christians and Muslims to work together against bloodshed and strife following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. ``I beg God to keep the world in peace,'' he declared.
The pope's special prayer at the end of an outdoor Mass in the Central Asian nation of Kazakstan, a country of mixed faiths in a region that is bracing for a threatened American strike against nearby Afghanistan.
``I wish to make an earnest call to everyone, Christians and the followers of other religions, that we work together to build a world without violence, a world that loves life and grows in justice and solidarity,'' the pope said.
``We must not let what has happened lead to a deepening of divisions,'' he said. ``Religion must never be used as a reason for conflict.''
It was John Paul's first public comment on the terrorist attacks since he arrived Saturday on a four-day visit to Kazakstan, which he held up as a model of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims whose numbers are almost equal in the nation of 15 million.
His spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, said the pope supports measures to ``bring those responsible to justice.'' He declined to say what specific measures the pope would back.
The trip brought John Paul to a region where many fear Islamic extremism emanating from nearby Afghanistan but are also wary of what will happen if the United States attacks the country for harboring the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks, Osama bin Laden.
The pope, switching from Russian to English to give his call more international resonance, urged believers to pray for a world where there is ``no room for hatred, discrimination or violence.''
``From this place, I invite both Christians and Muslims to raise an intense prayer to the One, Almighty God whose children we all are, that the supreme good of peace may reign in the world,'' he told about 50,000 people who packed Astana's central Mother of the Homeland Square. ``With all my heart, I beg God to keep the world in peace.''
Bundled in scarves and sweaters against the autumn chill, pilgrims began arriving at the square before dawn. A military helicopter circled slowly above while policemen and security guards scrutinized the crowd.
``What's happened has shocked the world so much that people need his words of hope and love and faith,'' said Zinova Bigaliyeva, 42, a cellist who traveled 20 hours by bus and train from the neighboring nation of Kyrgyzstan to attend the Mass.
Botagoz Abdrachmanova, a 22-year-old Muslim bookkeeper, said she was worried about possible U.S. actions against the Islamic world. ``I came to the Mass because the pope is someone who can give us hope,'' she said.
Many carried banners from their home parishes, some founded by Polish Catholics the Communists deported to the remote, harsh Kazak steppes in the 1930s. Some held up signs from cities in neighboring Russia, whose Orthodox Church has opposed a papal visit, saying the Vatican has been seeking to extend its influence in traditionally Orthodox Christian lands.
About 3 percent of Kazakstan's citizens are Catholic.
Later in the day, John Paul met with Kazak President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The president thanked the pope for making the trip in spite of the Sept. 11 attacks, which had raised fears about the pope's security.
``In recent days I was told this trip would be impossible because of the tragic events in America,'' the pope said. ``But we see it is possible.''
Nazarbayev reiterated Kazakstan's willingness to aid the fight against terrorism.
``Kazakstan stands decisively against terrorism and is prepared to take part in a coalition of states to fight it jointly, because we consider that no country, no matter how big, can fight terrorism on its own,'' the president said.
The frail 81-year-old pope held up well during his long day, which began with the 10 a.m. Mass and ended at 8 p.m. after a visit to a university, where he received a warm welcome and the gift of a Kazak string instrument in the shape of a flying swan, called a kobyz.
``He seems so sick, I don't know where he gets his energy,'' said Natalia Gilt, a 17-year-old student. ``It must come from God.''
Originally published September 23, 2001.
