New Delhi, Sept. 27: The Syro Malabar archbishop of Faridabad, Kuriakose Bharanikulangara, has issued a call for peace amid speculation of military conflict between India and Pakistan following the Uri attack.

In a media release titled "Word should prevail over sword", he said: "Suggestions have been made in various forums demanding instant retaliatory action against Pakistan... Any thoughtless strike can lead to war with disastrous consequences for the country.

"Mahatma Gandhi had said that an eye for an eye will make everyone blind. Any instantaneous action against Pakistan is bound to exacerbate the situation. And that is exactly what terrorists want.

"Pakistan should lose its face in every international forum over its support to terrorists. In the long run, there is no weapon more powerful than this international isolation."

Explaining his stand to this newspaper, he said: "Any big war primarily starts with an idea. With the rhetoric we are hearing, I fear this may grow into an explosive situation which will be tragic."

He added that he would issue an official communication to Catholics of his diocese for a prayer service for peace on October 16. "We will surely make known our position to the government," he said.

Bharanikulangara is the spiritual leader of the Syro Malabar Catholics, a Kerala-based denomination within the Catholic church, in the National Capital Region, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir.

He was a member of the diplomatic corps of the Holy See and had served as the first counsellor of the permanent observer mission of the Holy See to the United Nations.