Through prayer one can "enter eternal life," says Pope Benedict

Prayer is a "question of life and death" and only those who pray can "enter eternal life," the Pope Benedict XVI, the head of the Roman Catholic Church has urged.

Prayer is not "an optional" or an accessory for Christians but an essential part of the life of the faithful, the pontiff told pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square for his weekly Sunday address.

According to him, prayer could not be a means of escaping the sometimes harsh reality of the world.

"Dear brothers and sisters, prayer is not an accessory, an optional, but it is a question of life and death," he said.

"Only those who pray, in fact, only those who entrust themselves to God with the love of a child, can enter eternal life..." he urged.

But as important as prayer is to Christians, it could not be used as a form of escape from problems.

"For a Christian, praying does not mean evading escaping reality and its responsibilities but facing them fully, confiding in the faithful and inexhaustable love of the Lord," the Pope said.

The Pope's address marked the end of a week–long Lenten spiritual retreat inside the Vatican, during which he prayed with aides and made no public appearances.