BY GRETCHEN KEISER

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--Prayers and hymns for peace were lifted up in Centennial Olympic Park Oct. 31 as the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians visited the South for the first time.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Orthodox archbishop of Constantinople, spoke of Christ's peace and the spiritual race whose prize encompasses and eclipses the human strivings of the Olympics.

"The prize is the unspeakable joy of realizing Christ's likeness, not only within your own person, but between all persons in the world. Beloved children, we are in a position to model the peace and unity of the Holy Trinity," Patriarch Bartholomew said in an open-air address to Atlanta leaders and citizens under gray skies. His visit was part of a 16-city tour of the United States.

For Orthodox Christians, he is the 270th successor to the apostle Andrew who established the See of Constantinople, in what is now known as Istanbul in Turkey.

Alluding to the Olympic truce of ancient times which permitted athletes to travel safely to the competition through hostile territory, the leader of Greek Orthodox Christians in the U.S. said that such a truce is needed now more than ever.

"During the first half of this decade, an average of one million, five hundred and fifty-five thousand people were killed each year in wars and violent conflicts. That is a loss of over three thousand lives a day," his address continued, reiterating, "three thousand lives a day."

"How painful it is to contemplate the horrors of humanity's dark, self-centered ego, the terrors of humanity's greed and avaricious desires."

He urged those in the gathering who belong to the Orthodox churches, and all Atlantans, to "enter into the contest of humanity's most important struggle."

"Between now and the new millennium, seek to establish yourselves as contestants in the race. The competition is to manifest Christ's blessing that He left with us, a hope, a living deposit of faith, in what is best in each and every one of you," he said.

The event in Centennial Olympic Park, described as an ecumenical prayer service for international peace, included rousing spirituals sung by a combined choir from Clark Atlanta University and Cascade United Methodist Church, a children's song for peace, and the release of two white doves.

Archbishop John F. Donoghue gave one of the Scripture readings, the opening verses from the second Letter of Peter beginning, "May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, our Lord."

The readings from Psalm 85, Isaiah 52 and Philippians 4 all spoke of the peace which comes from God and surpasses human understanding. Those chosen to read represented different Christian denominations, including Joseph Lowery, longtime president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Leland Collins, executive director of the Georgia Christian Council.

Gov. Zell Miller noted that although war has not touched American soil in over 100 years, Americans have been caught up constantly in world conflicts. "We pause to remember that despite our differences...we are all God's children, human beings made in God's image," Miller said. "We ask for peace, we ask for strength...and the gift to see all people as precious in God's sight."

Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, Bishop Alexios of Troas, the Greek Orthodox leader of the Atlanta Diocese, and Archbishop Spyridon of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America also welcomed the patriarch and his prayers for peace.

"Nearly 2,500 years ago the prophet Zechariah triumphantly announced the coming of a king who would command peace to the nations," said Archbishop Spyridon. "Today in this city in the heart of the South we proclaim this same message to a world thirsting for righteousness."

Patriarch Bartholomew, who earlier in the day left a wreath at the tomb of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., recalled in his address Dr. King's dream "in which all men and women would come to live together in peace." He then spoke of a new millennium of peace.

"Here in Dr. King's city, in the place where his earthen vessel remains to remind us of his spirit filled vision, we dare to echo his call and proclaim the dream of a thousand year peace," the patriarch said.