Vatican City ? Pope John Paul II said in his Easter Sunday message that the Iraqi people should determine their future, adding his moral authority to the international debate on the aftermath of the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

“Peace in Iraq!” proclaimed the pontiff, drawing cheers from some 60,000 people, chilled by rain, in St. Peter’s Square, where a tired-looking John Paul had just finished celebrating Mass on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica.

“With the support of the international community, may the Iraqi people become the protagonists of their collective rebuilding of their country,” said John Paul, who had vigorously spoken out against war and tried to use Vatican diplomacy to avert it.

The phrase “international community” in Vatican diplomatic circles can refer to the United Nations and peacemaking efforts involving several countries.

Some European nations, including Britain, have urged the Bush administration to give the United Nations a prominent role in Iraq during reconstruction. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has rejected the idea of a supervisory role by the organization.

John Paul’s “Urbi et Orbi” message — Latin for “to the city and to the world” — was as much a commentary on the world’s hot spots as a religious reflection on the significance of Easter, which centers on the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead after crucifixion.

In a possible reference to the intense media spotlight on the Iraq war, he called for peace “in other parts of the world, where forgotten wars and protracted hostilities are causing deaths and injuries amid silence and neglect on the part of considerable sectors of public opinion.”

“With profound grief, I think of the wake of violence and bloodshed, with no sign of ceasing, in the Holy Land,” said the pope, who has pushed for a negotiated end to Middle East fighting for years.

He also mentioned conflicts in Africa and “attacks on people’s freedom in the Caucasus, in Asia and in Latin America,” although he named no country. The breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya is in the Caucasus, as are rival former Soviet nations Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The pope has expressed concern that the Iraq war would be seen by the Islamic world as a Christian crusade against it.

“May God grant that we be free from the peril of a tragic clash between cultures and religions,” John Paul said.

The pope has underscored his concern about the suffering caused by war in recent ceremonies. On Good Friday, Iraqis were among those chosen to carry the cross for the ailing pope in the traditional Colosseum procession.

During Easter Sunday Mass, a prayer read in German by one of the faithful expressed hope that “soldiers, on all fronts, nourish in their mind and heart thoughts of peace and not of vendetta.”

Under gray skies Sunday morning, the square was brightened by potted plants, including deep pink azaleas, tulips in a rainbow of colors and sprays of lilac-hued wisteria. The pope seemed energized by the end of the ceremony, quipping in his native Polish that the crowd should thank the rain for letting up.

He kept up his tradition of reciting Easter greetings in dozens of languages, this year wishing a joyful day in 62 tongues. Among them was Mongolian. Vatican officials say there is a good chance he’ll go to Mongolia later this year.

After a nine-month pause John Paul resumes his globe-trotting with a trip to Spain in two weeks. Other pilgrimages will likely include Croatia and Bosnia.