Pope Benedict XVI has told a gathering of inter-faith leaders that religion must never be used as a pretext for war or terrorism.
''No more violence, no more war, no more terrorism! Never again!'' he said at a ceremony in the Saint Francis basilica in Assisi, Italy, on Thursday
''In the name of God, that every religion bring justice and peace, forgiveness and life and love to the world!"
Benedict, 84, also expressed his shame for Christian acts of violence committed in the name of God in the past.
International Conference of Islamic Scholars chairman Kyai Haji Hasyim Muzadi said that violence committed in the name of God included elements which "seem" religious but are "political, economical and cultural."
