Pope John Paul begged world leaders on Wednesday to put a stop to a tide of violence -- a day after bombings killed at least 38 people in Baghdad and Jerusalem.
"We pray to God for peace, that wisdom prevails in people's hearts and that those responsible for public affairs know how to break this tragic spiral of hate and violence," the 83-year-old pontiff told pilgrims gathered at his summer residence in the hills outside Rome.
"The tragic news that reaches us from Baghdad and Jerusalem in the past hours can only make us feel deep sadness and unanimous reprobation," the pope said.
On Tuesday a truck bomb devastated the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, killing at least 20 people, including the top U.N. envoy to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.
Hours later in Jerusalem, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew apart a bus packed with ultra-Orthodox Jews, killing at least 18 people including children and dealing a deadly blow to a truce.