On December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Pope John Paul II paid homage to the statue of the Virgin Mary at the Spanish Steps in central Rome, using the occasion to express his concern over the prospects for continued international conflict.

For the 23rd time of his pontificate, the Holy Father performed the traditional gesture honoring the Virgin, in a ceremony instituted by Pope Pius IX after that pontiff had formally declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. Several thousand people participated in the ceremony in Rome, where the day is a holiday.

After greeting dignitaries who included Rome's Mayor Walter Veltroni and Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the Pope blessed a wreath to be placed at the foot of the large statue erected in 1856, then knelt for a few minutes for quiet prayer. When he arose, the Holy Father prayed aloud for Mary's intercession at a time when "dark clouds are on the world's horizon" because of the possibility of "new catastrophic conflicts."

"The world's peace is in danger," the Pope continued, as he asked the Immaculate Conception to help create "souls freed from hatred, open to reciprocal pardon, constructive solidarity, and peace."