LONDON: The Pope delivered a coded rebuke to Washington on Easter Sunday when he urged Iraqis to take charge of the rebuilding of their country while working closely with the international community.

In the Vatican’s diplomatic lexicon, the phrase “international community” normally refers to the UN. Before the conflict started, Pope John Paul vigorously opposed the US-led assault and advocated resolution of the crisis in the forum of the UN general assembly.

“With the support of the international community,” he declared in his traditional Easter sermon “may the Iraqi people become the protagonists of their collective rebuilding of their country.”

The 82-year-old pontiff, who has difficulty walking because of arthritis, moved around St Peter’s Basilica, in Rome, on a mobile throne.

His speech appeared aimed at putting pressure on the US and Britain to involve the UN more closely in political reconstruction of Iraq and to speed up the handover to civilian rule.

In his 25th Easter message, Pope John Paul wished the world a happy and peaceful holiday in 62 different languages. “Peace in Iraq!” he said in a hoarse tone, but the crowd roared with approval and applauded, prompting him to project his voice more energetically and repeat several phrases with emphasis.

In the months preceding the fighting, the Pope conducted a series of high-profile diplomatic initiatives, sending envoys to President George Bush and Saddam Hussein and holding talks at the Vatican with Iraq’s deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, and with Prime Minister Tony Blair. More recently, the Vatican has offered to help coordinate humanitarian aid through its embassy and dioceses.

The pontiff’s message again addressed “the peril of a tragic clash between cultures and religions” in the Middle East.

He also called for “peace in other parts of the world, where forgotten wars and protracted hostilities are causing deaths and injuries amid silence and neglect on the part of considerable sectors of public opinion.”—Dawn/The Guardian News Service.