LES COMBES, July 11: Pope John Paul, mid way through a mountain holiday that appears to have re-invigorated him, on Sunday urged modern society to turn down the noise and listen to the sound of silence.

"In this oasis of calm, in front of this marvellous show of nature, one can easily appreciate just how fruitful silence, something which is becoming ever more rare these days, can be," he said.

The 84-year-old Pope made the comments during the only public appearance in two weeks of much-needed rest in an isolated mountain chalet near the border with France.

The Pope, addressing some 6,000 people who had come up to the mountain to hear his Sunday prayer, said modern society often "steals the time needed to think, sometimes to the point of making people incapable of reflection and prayer". -Reuters