William West / AP Pope Benedict XVI, left, shakes hands with Sheikh Shardy, who represents Australian Muslims, at an inter-faith gathering during World Youth Day festivities.

SYDNEY, Australia — Pope Benedict XVI told representatives of Islam and other faiths that they must unite to combat religion's role in "sinister and indiscriminate" violence.

Without mentioning terrorism directly, the pontiff said there were those who were using religion "as a cause of division rather than a force for unity" in a 40-minute exchange with Australian Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist leaders in Sydney.

"In a world threatened by sinister and indiscriminate forms of violence, the unified voice of religious people urges nations and communities to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and with full regard for human dignity," Benedict told the leaders, gathered in Australia's largest Roman Catholic cathedral as part of the church's global youth festival. Harmony between religion and public life is especially important in these days, he said.

The remarks come as the Vatican tries to cool lingering anger among Muslims over a speech Benedict gave in 2006 that appeared to associate Islam with violence. Benedict quickly apologized for the link.

In reply, the delegates from the other creeds welcomed the pope's inclusionary stance, though Sheikh Mohamadu Saleem of the National Imams Council of Australia noted discrimination between faiths was still a problem. Muslims should be more understanding of other religions, he said, adding: "At the same time, a significant amount of the Christian groups and other religions must overcome their prejudice to Muslims and Islam."

The meeting was one element of a busy Friday schedule for the pontiff at World Youth Day, which organizers say has attracted more than 200,000 young Catholics.

Benedict, who last week said his church was in "crisis" in the West because many had lost faith in God, held a separate meeting with deputies of Christian denominations.

He urged them to cooperate against secularism and apathy — saying those shared problems were greater than any differences among them.

"I think you would agree that the ecumenical movement has reached a critical juncture," he told the Christian representatives. "We must guard against any temptation to view doctrine as divisive and hence an impediment to the seemingly more pressing and immediate task of improving the world in which we live."