Prayer not "an optional" for Christians, Pope says

VATICAN CITY, March 4 (Reuters) Prayer is not ''an optional'' or an accessory for Christians but an essential part of the life of the faithful, Pope Benedict today said.

At the same time, he told pilgrims and tourists in St Peter's Square for his weekly Sunday address, prayer could not be a means of escaping the sometimes harsh reality of the world.

''Dear brothers and sisters, prayer is not an accessory, an optional, but it is a question of life and death,'' he said.

''Only those who pray, in fact, only those who entrust themselves to God with the love of a child, can enter eternal life ...''.

But as important as prayer is to Christians, it could not be used as a form of escape from problems.

''For a Christian, praying does not mean evading escaping reality and its responsibilities but facing them fully, confiding in the faithful and inexhaustable love of the Lord,'' he said.

The Pope's address marked the end of a week-long Lenten spiritual retreat inside the Vatican, during which he prayed with aides and made no public appearances.

REUTERS SHB PM1839