Britons join in prayer day

Dr George Carey: "We have all been terribly affected"

The Archbishop of Canterbury has conducted a special service as part of a UK-wide day of prayer in response to the US attacks.

Dr George Carey, the head of the Anglican church across the world, led prayers for peace, justice and reconciliation at Lambeth Palace in south London.

The service was one of many to be held on Friday across the UK.

The Queen allowed a new chapel at Buckingham Palace to be used for prayers at midday.

That service was led by the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, and focused on world peace.

We pray for justice for a world where people will be free, where the freedom of us all would demand the security of all

Dr George Carey

Thousands of Muslims across Britain also held special prayers at their weekly Friday services.

One such service was outside the Pakistan Association's Centre mosque in Leith, Edinburgh, which was damaged earlier this week by a firebomb attack.

At the Lambeth Palace service, prayers were said for children, refugees, mercy and world leaders.

Dr Carey remembered a librarian at his official residence whose cousin died in the attacks on the World Trade Center.

"We will be part of her journey and that of all the people who have been terribly affected - we have all been terribly affected," he said.

"We pray for justice for a world where people will be free, where the freedom of us all would demand the security of all."

Peace

Earlier on Friday, Dr Carey told the BBC: "We are perhaps on the verge of action and therefore it is very appropriate that the churches provide space for people to reflect.

"There is a huge concern among us all that we stand on the brink of something that could take us one way or another, and we are saying as church leaders, 'Let us pray for a better world'."

Dr Carey urged the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, US President George W Bush, and other world leaders to "go carefully into the unknown".

"We must not sink into revenge," he said.

"The dilemma is how you bring people to justice when you have to hunt them down and we know that innocent people will be harmed."