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Pope recalls Gandhiji, Mother Teresa

Pope John Paul has decried the ''scandalous inequalities'' between the world's rich and poor and said the use of religion as a pretext for war was a blatant contradiction.

In one of his hardest hitting speeches against the perceived ills of modern society, the 79-year-old Pontiff said the technological revolution of the late 20th century had failed to bring with it spiritual and moral advancement.

''As we survey the situation of humanity, is it too much to speak of a crisis of civilisation,'' he asked thousands of worshippers in St Peter's square in a speech to mark the end of a five-day inter-religious assembly at the Vatican.

''We see great technological advances, but these are not always accompanied by great spiritual and moral progress,'' he said. ''We see, as well, a growing gap between the rich and poor -- at the level of individuals and nations.''

''We lack the collective will to overcome scandalous inequalities and to create new structures which will allow all peoples to have a just share in the world's resources,'' he continued.

''Surely this is not the way humanity is supposed to live,'' the pope said. ''Is it not therefore right to say that there is indeed a crisis of civilisation which can be countered only by a new civilisation of love...?''

The Pope was joined on a platform in front of the vast facade of St Peter's by Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who is on a nine-day visit to Italy and the Vatican.

The two religious leaders, who have met several times before during the Pope's 21-year pontificate, greeted each other at the end of the ceremony, embracing and exchanging a few words.

During his speech, the Pope said that teaching peace, solidarity, justice and liberty was not enough. ''It must be translated into action,'' he said.

As examples of believers who had done just that, the polish pontiff cited Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa, who worked with the poor in Calcutta.

The Pope, who leaves on a two-day visit to New Delhi next week, said the two icons of 20th century India were ''unforgettable witnesses...Who have had such an impact on the world.''

The Pope renewed his call for an end to wars -- ''conflicts that linger like festering wounds and cry out for a healing that never seems to come.''

He said all religious believers had a duty to distance themselves from violence and intolerance.

''Any use of religion to support violence is an abuse of religion. Religion is not and must not become a pretext for conflict, particularly when religious, cultural and ethnic identity coincide,'' he said. ''To wage war in the name of religion is a blatant contradiction.''

Despite his bleak portrayal of a world in crisis, the Pope said there were some grounds for optimism. ''I am convinced that the increased interest in dialogue between religions is one of the signs of hope present in the last part of this century,'' he said.

''Yet there is a need to go further,'' the pontiff concluded.

UNI

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