Pope John Paul II has called for prayers to counter what he called "planetary tensions" unleashed by the September 11th attacks on the United States and the conflicts that have followed.
The 83-year-old pope appeared in relatively good condition at his weekly general audience, but as has become custom, he had some difficulty speaking and read only parts of his address.
The pope, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, told thousands of pilgrims and tourists in the Vatican's audience hall that hopes for peace that appeared on the world horizon at the start of the new millennium did not last long.
"The shocking attacks of September 11th, 2001 and what has happened in the world since have raised tensions to a planetary level," he said.
The pope made no specific mention of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq that followed the September 11th attacks but his words appeared to be a clear reference to both.
He said the new century had also inherited "drawn-out brush fires of wars and violence" in many places.