Allied and Axis veterans of world war two joined in prayer at the new abbey of Monte Cassino May 15 on the 16th anniversary of the end of the devastating Allied bombardment. In all, 4,000 ex-servicemen from 16 nations joined Pope John 23rd in a prayer for peace read by Paolo Cardinal Marella of the Vatican.

In tribute to the dead, the veterans, including survivors of the bombardment on the 250-strong visiting German contingent, lit a symbolic torch of International Brotherhood at the Abbey - almost completely destroyed in the 1944 aerial and artillery bombardment and now rebuilt. The veterans also went in pilgrimage to the Nearby British and Polish war cemeteries, and other war cemeteries in the zone.

In his message, the Pope told the Monte Cassino survivors to fight as hard now for a peace between nations respecting justice as they once did for their own countries.