Vatican City: Pope John Paul II presided at a special prayer service yesterday for an icon he is returning to Russia, expressing his hopes that the gesture will improve relations between Roman Catholics and Russian Orthodox Christians.

John Paul had been hoping to return the Mother of God of Kazan icon himself and become the first pope to visit Russia, but tensions between the churches have prevented such a trip.

The 32-by-26-centimetre icon, which has hung in the pope's private chapel since 1993, was carried into a Vatican auditorium in a procession and kissed by the pope. It is being put on public view before a Vatican delegation takes it to Moscow tomorrow.

John Paul said that, since receiving the icon, he has often invoked the Mother of God of Kazan "to protect and guide the Russian people and to speed up" reconciliation among Christians.

Russian Orthodox leader Patriarch Alexy II has welcomed the return of the icon, but emphasised it is a copy of the revered 16th century work and therefore there was no need for the pope himself to personally bring it back.

His statement two weeks ago underlined the persistent animosity between his church and the Vatican. The Orthodox accuse the Vatican of poaching for converts in traditionally Orthodox lands in Russia and elsewhere in Eastern Europe.

The icon, which first appeared in the Volga River city of Kazan in 1579, is revered by Russian believers for its purported ability to work miracles, including the rout of Polish invaders from Russia in the early 17th century.

It hung in the Kazan Cathedral on Moscow's Red Square and the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg before being taken to the West after the 1917 revolution.

A joint commission of the Vatican, the Russian church and the Russian Culture Ministry examined the icon last year and dated it to about the 18th century.