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Youthful pilgrims listened yesterday to Pope Benedict XVIs prayer vigil at Marienfeld, a field near Cologne, Germany. (AFP Photo) Pope urges end to spread of terrorism Addresses German Muslim leaders COLOGNE -- Pope Benedict XVI, in his bluntest exchange to date with leaders of another faith, yesterday chose a meeting with German Muslim leaders to decry the spread of terrorism and urged them to help ''turn back the wave of cruel fanaticism that endangers the lives of so many people and hinders progress toward world peace." In his meeting with Muslims, which took place at the offices of the archbishop of Cologne, he said, ''You . . . have a great responsibility for the formation of the younger generation," he said. ''There is no room for apathy and disengagement, and even less for partiality and sectarianism. We must not yield to fear or pessimism. Rather, we must cultivate optimism and hope." The pope then traveled to Marienfeld, a field constructed from an abandoned mine near Cologne, where he rode in his new mother-of-pearl-colored Mercedes popemobile through an exuberant crowd of several hundred thousand teenagers and young adults who planned to spend the night sleeping outdoors in anticipation of hearing Benedict say the concluding Mass of World Youth Day here today. Benedict did not directly criticize Islam in his meeting with Muslim leaders. But he chose the setting to bring up the issue of terrorism, a subject he did not raise in separate meetings with Jewish and Protestant leaders on Friday. Benedict has previously declined to say whether he thinks Islam is a religion of peace, saying last month, ''Certainly it has elements that favor peace, as it has other elements." ''I turn to you, dear Muslim friends, to share my hopes with you and to let you know of my concerns at these particularly difficult times in our history," he said. ''I am certain that I echo your own thoughts when I bring up as one of our concerns the spread of terrorism." The pope referred to terrorism as ''a perverse and cruel decision which shows contempt for the sacred right to life and undermines the very foundations of all civil society. . . . If together we can succeed in eliminating from hearts any trace of rancor, in resisting every form of intolerance and in opposing every manifestation of violence, we will turn back the wave of cruel fanaticism that endangers the lives of so many people and hinders progress toward world peace." Benedict acknowledged that Christians and Muslims have waged wars in the past -- perhaps an allusion to the Crusades. ''The recollection of these sad events should fill us with shame," he said. He added that both sides should learn from history and seek reconciliation, in part by protecting religious freedom -- a concern for Christians in many Muslim countries -- because ''respect for minorities is a clear sign of true civilization." His remarks were made to representatives of the German Muslim community, who are predominantly immigrants from Turkey, but clearly were aimed more broadly at Muslim leaders who would hear about the meeting through the news media. The leader of the Muslim delegation did not address terrorism in his remarks to Benedict, which were released by the World Youth Day press office, but said, ''Today, memories of hostility and war are a source of pain for all of humankind." ''If we can continue to coexist in dialogue, it will send a signal that the theory of a 'clash of cultures' is baseless," said Rdvan Cakir, whose title is president of the Turkish Islamic Union. ''The more religious and cultural communities can learn about one another, the more they will realize that there is no reason for hostility, and indeed many reasons for friendship and cordial coexistence." At Marienfeld, Benedict joined in an evening World Youth Day vigil service, and, while speaking to the pilgrims, again seemed to refer to terrorism, saying, ''There are many who speak of God; some even preach hatred and perpetrate violence in God's name. So it is important to discover the true face of God. " Benedict presided over the vigil from atop a large hill under a spaceship-like structure that was supposed to resemble a cloud, like heaven above an altar. The hillside was decorated with candles. Amid tight security, the pope was so removed from the crowd that most watched him on television screens, hoping they would get an in-person glimpse last night or today when the popemobile rode through the crowd. The pilgrims, who come from 197 countries, walked for several miles from bus drop-off points to the field, where they laid out tarps and cardboard, preparing to spend the night in sleeping bags or under space blankets. Some prayed, others played cards, and many exchanged trinkets with religious or national symbols. ''This is what I've been looking forward to. How can you not have fun with a million different flags around you?" said Erin Shattuck, 16, of Chelmsford. ''It's a huge party -- people are dancing and singing -- and the sky was black an hour ago and now the sun is back." At least 400 young people traveled from the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to World Youth Day, and in interviews, several cited the opportunity to meet Catholics from around the world as the highlight of their trip, an affirming experience at a time when their own diocese has been struggling after the abuse crisis and parish closings. ''It is comforting at World Youth Day to see that you're not alone," said Julie Morrison, 18, of Wellesley. ''It has been hard these past few years." The Rev. Chris O'Connor, who teaches philosophy at St. John's Seminary in Boston and is helping to lead one of the groups of Boston pilgrims, echoed that point. ''So much of our culture tells us that it's not OK to be Catholic, not OK to have faith, but something like this shows us it's perfectly OK and it's completely normal," he said. ''It's a teachable moment about the universality of the church." The pilgrims have been here for as long as a week, staying in hotels in Cologne, Dusseldorf, and other nearby cities, spending their days traveling to Masses, catechetical sessions, visiting churches, and exchanging greetings and trinkets with other young Catholics from throughout the world. The core of Cologne, around its high Gothic cathedral, has been nearly impassable at times because of the crowds of young people gathered in clusters praying and singing. Late at night, groups packed into beer halls, loudly singing Catholic praise songs while hoisting glasses of the local beer, Kölsch. They frequented American chain restaurants, like McDonald's and Pizza Hut, even a Hard Rock Cafe. Some of the high-end retailers did not fare so well; the Hermes boutique posted a sign saying it was closed until the end of World Youth Day. Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley of Boston said Mass for the group yesterday in St. Andreas Church, an 800-year-old Dominican church that contains the relics of St. Albert the Great. The church was packed with young Bostonians, many in jeans or shorts and T-shirts indicating the names of their parishes, filling the pews and sitting on the floor, swaying, singing, and chanting hymns accompanied by several guitars. Instead of shaking hands as a sign of peace, many hugged one another. As they left, they sang a boisterous version of ''Go Make a Difference in the World." In his homily, O'Malley briefly referred to the Holocaust, decrying ''the hellish tortures and extermination of millions of innocent people in concentration camps." He lamented the amount of division in society and urged the young people to remain united. Noting how many young people today dress similarly regardless of nationality, he said, ''Globalization has brought a certain uniformity, but not unity." ''We enslave people to fashions, fads, and political correctness, and a warped notion of tolerance," O'Malley said. ''Jesus teaches us to hate sin and love the sinner, and our modern culture teaches us to tolerate sin and hate the sinner." O'Malley urged the pilgrims to talk to others about their faith as a method of evangelization, saying, ''Your pilgrimage is not just for yourselves, but it's to help others to find the path that leads to God." Michael Paulson can be reached at mpaulson@globe.com. © Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company.
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The Catholic World Youth Day 2005 concluded today with a open-air mass by Pope Benedict XVI at the Marienfeld, about 15 km west of Cologne.

Speaking to some one million pilgrims from about 200 countries the Pope called for a "return to God" . In his sermon, he condemned the commercialisation of faith and said that "Religion constructed on a 'do-it-yourself' basis cannot ultimately help us".

He announced that the next World Youth Day will be held in Sydney and concluded with short addresses in nine languages in which he called upon the faithful to "walk together in unity".

A journalist working for the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel described the speech  this way: "First faith, then morality".

The Pope has been in his native Germany since Thursday. During his visit he met with high ranking  politicians, made the first ever visit of a Pope to a German synagogue and spoke to representatives of the Muslim community.