Pope John Paul II has made the first-ever address to the Italian parliament by a pontiff.
In the speech, he deplored the "new and fearful dimension" of international terrorism and made a veiled appeal to Christian countries to turn away from war against Iraq.
The 82-year-old was greeted with warm applause as he walked with a cane into the Chamber of Deputies where some 800 people including members of both houses of parliament had gathered.
Alluding to a possible US-led war against Iraq, the Pope warned Italy and other countries "historically rooted in the Christian faith" to not allow themselves "to be imprisoned by a logic of conflict incapable of offering real solutions.
"Tragically our hopes for peace are brutally contradicted by the flaring up of chronic conflicts, beginning with the one which has caused so much bloodshed in the Holy Land," the pontiff said.
Turning to terrorism, John Paul said the violence had "taken on a new and fearful dimension, involving in a completely distorted way the great religions.
"The world's religions are challenged to show all their rich potential for peace by directing, and, as it were 'converting' towards mutual understanding, the cultures and civilisations which draw inspiration from them," he said.
The Pope said he was "deeply honoured by the marvellous welcome" from the assembly and said: "Truly deep is the bond that exists between the Holy See and Italy!".
The Italian chamber is only the third national parliament to receive Pope John Paul II - following in the footsteps of the Austrian and Polish assemblies.
AFP