The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, today issued the following joint statement:

"The road that has led us to military action with Iraq has been a long and difficult one. It is clear that we have now entered dangerous new terrain with consequences that cannot be surely known or predicted. Our prayers at this difficult and troubling time are with all those who will find themselves embroiled in conflict and its consequences. We pray for servicemen and women and their families, those who seek to support and to sustain them, and for the people of Iraq and the region, whose immediate future is so uncharted.

"Above all we pray that through God's mercy and compassion, peace with justice may come swiftly."