ASSISI, Italy (Reuters) - Pope John and religious leaders including Muslims and Jews, Buddhists and Hindus, committed themselves on Thursday to work for peace and shun violence.

Christian monks in brown woolen habits, saffron-robed Buddhists, black-cloaked Muslims, Sikhs wearing turbans, white-bearded Orthodox patriarchs and rabbis traveled together on a peace train to pray near the tomb of St. Francis.

"Violence never again! War never again! Terrorism never again! In the name of God, may every religion bring upon the earth justice and peace, forgiveness and life. Love," the Pope said.

He spoke at the end of an emotional day in which some 200 religious leaders representing a dozen faiths made pledges in the city of the 13th-century saint most associated with peace.

Wearing his traditional white robe, the Roman Catholic leader sat on a red stage flanked by religious figures as they each addressed a crowd of 3,000 people in a white tent.

Solemn commitments to work for peace were read in 11 languages including Hebrew, Arabic, Farsi and Punjabi.

"We commit ourselves to proclaiming our firm conviction that violence and terrorism are incompatible with the authentic spirit of religion," said one read by Konrad Raiser, secretary-general of the World Council of Churches.

The Pope, who lit peace lamps with other participants, said they all wanted to "do our part in fending off the dark clouds of terrorism, hatred, armed conflict, which in these last few months have grown particularly ominous on humanity's horizon."

The Middle East crisis came to the fore when Rabbi Israel Singer of the World Jewish Congress departed from his prepared address and alluded to the conflict with Palestinians.

"You should tell your people, and we should tell ours, all of us, all of us, to question whether land or places are more important than people's lives. And until we learn to do that there will be no peace," Singer said, raising his voice.

A message read out on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, grand imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar mosque, spoke of "restoring the legitimate proprietors to their rights," an apparent reference to Palestinian lands occupied by Israel.

Assisi, a medieval city accustomed to Western choirs and Gregorian chants, was treated to something different as religious pluralism ruled.

Geshe Tashi Tsering, wearing a crimson and saffron robe, began his time on the center stage with a Buddhist chant.

Chief Amadou Gasseto, of the traditional Vodou animist religion of the West African nation of Benin, said the occasion taught "the art of knowing how to respect one's adversary, of tolerating differences and understanding others' convictions."

It was the third such day of peace led by the Pope, who has said he hopes the meeting will promote relations with Muslims in the wake of the September 11 suicide plane attacks on the United States and the war in Afghanistan.

After a morning session, the religious groups went off to pray in various rooms before sharing a vegetarian lunch and returning to the tent for the final pledges.

Rabbi Ron Kronish of Israel told reporters aboard the peace train returning to the Vatican that he would return to Jerusalem feeling "spiritually empowered" to work for peace.

"Does it resolve anything tomorrow? No. Will it have an impact in the long-run? I hope so," he said.

But outside Assisi, not everyone was happy with the events.

"To pray with heretics, schismatics, rabbis, mullahs, witch doctors and various idolaters creates confusion among Catholic believers," Federico Bricolo and Massimo Polledri, members of an Italian government coalition party, said in a statement.

(additional reporting by Crispian Balmer)

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