The Right Reverend John Oliver, whose diocese also covers south Shropshire, said prayer vigils could be held and plenty of candles should be available in the event of a war.

"With war a real possibility, we must make sure that our churches are open and that special services are held whenever it is appropriate," he said.

Bishop Oliver, who will retire in November, recently voiced some controversial views on Iraq.

Moral dilemma

He said at a diocesan synod meeting on 8 March that going to war was better than standing by and letting Saddam Hussein kill thousands more of his own people.

He said there had been a great deal of "simplistic and naive support for the stop the war campaign".

He said casualties from a quick military strike would be a fraction of the deaths caused by Saddam Hussein's regime, and war may be the least morally repugnant course of action.

Bishop Oliver then went onto to describe going to war as a deeply shameful thing and there had not been enough rigorous analysis of the moral dilemma.

"I hope fervently that if there is to be military action, it will be short-lived and casualties will be very light," he said.