Pope, Dalai Lama Denounce Extremism

VATICAN CITY, October 28 (AP) - With Pope John Paul II presiding next to the Dalai Lama, representatives of 20 of the world's faiths closed a millennium-ending gathering Thursday with a forceful denunciation of religious extremism.

Assembled in St. Peter's Square, the 200 clergy and lay people appealed to world leaders to ``refuse to allow religion to be used to incite hatred and violence.''

``Any use of religion to support violence is an abuse of religion,'' John Paul said in his final message to the four-day council, speaking to a crowd of red- and orange-robed Asian monks, Catholic priests in black cassocks, Muslim women in head scarfs and Africans and American Indians in the traditional clothing of their own countries.

Beyond the message of tolerance it produced, the council was remarkable for the scenes it brought to a bastion of Christianity: An American Indian pivoting in the center of the square at sunset, blessing the four corners of the earth from the heart of Rome. Muslims spreading out newspapers in the marble colonnade to kneel toward Mecca and pray.

``If you want to know what this accomplished, I'll tell you this,'' said Rabbi Ron Kronish. ``This morning at coffee, a colleague from a neighboring country - I won't say which one, but I'm from Israel - told me, `This is the first time in my life I ever met a Jew.'

John Paul summoned representatives of the world's religions to the Vatican for one last try during this millennium at cooperation to solve common problems of the world's people.

The council is opposed by traditionalists in many religions, made uneasy at seeing their faith put on an equal footing with others. The first Vatican interfaith council, at Assisi in 1986, was a factor in the only formal Catholic schism of this century, when hard-liners in the church in France broke away from the Vatican.

This second meeting, 13 years later, stressed the differences between religions - but denounced exploiting them for violent ends.

Twenty-six Buddhists from West and East alike were among the believers taking part in the council, but, notably, the list included none from mainland China.

Tibet's spiritual leader in exile, the Dalai Lama, joined the last hours of the ceremony, sitting next to John Paul on the steps of St. Peter's in the candlelit closing ceremony.