Invoking Lennon, Ono asks suffering souls to forgive

NEW YORK, Nov 26 (Reuters) Yoko Ono, widow of slain Beatle John Lennon, issued a plea for forgiveness to the world's suffering people in a full page notice in today's New York Times entitled ''Forgive us.'' Noting that the December 8 anniversary of her husband's murder at the hands of an assassin was approaching, Ono thanked the people from whom she hears each year, but said she wanted to send a message this year as well.

Directing her words to ''people who have lost loved ones without cause,'' to ''the soldiers of all countries and of all centuries,'' to civilians who were injured or killed and to ''people who have been abused or tortured,'' Ono wrote ''Know that your loss is our loss ... Know that the burden is ours,'' and asked ''Forgive us.'' She also stated that she didn't know if she could yet forgive Lennon's killer, but added ''healing is what is urgently needed now in the world. Let's heal the wounds together.'' Ono concluded by asking that December 8 become ''the day to ask for forgiveness from those who suffered the insufferable,'' and for ''healing ourselves'' and thus the world.

She signed the note, which appeared on the back page of the paper's ''Week in Review'' section, ''With deepest love, Yoko Ono Lennon, New York City 2006,'' and added a sketch of Lennon and herself with son Sean holding a balloon.

REUTERS DH KP0830