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Two questions, from a not always knowledgable Catholic:

1)This isn't binding in any way is it? I don't have to fast for peace do I?

2)Is the Holy Father implying that if one doesn't fast for peace and just fasts because it's Ash Wednesday, they are not "the faithful?"

No, you don't have to fast for peace if you don't want to . I think that this was just a suggestion by the Pope. I fast for reasons of personal spiritual growth and closeness to the Lord. Anyone may offer up their fasting for any reason (world hunger, world peace, spiritual guidance for our leaaders, etc).

Fasting on Ash Wednesday is required under pain of sin. Now, if you are elderly, sick or have another good reason, you can refrain (as a doctor working long hours, I may or may not fast.) We all have sins to fast for, and fasting purifies one's soul if done with humility and prayer.

If you don't fast, it means you don't take the church seriously, since Lent is traditionally a time of fasting, doing good deeds, and giving up things as a prayer for love of God.

The ashes are on the forehead remind us we come from dust and into dust we can return.

As for this pope asking us to fast for peace: That is his personal opinion. Since unlike hollywood movie stars, he knows quite abit about the middle east, his opinion must be respected, but not necessarily obeyed.

If one read the book of Jonah beyond the whale part, you find that Ninevah was warned of a punishment but did respons with prayers and fasting, and the punishment was postponed 60 years. So it is biblical.

Maybe if we pray and fast, there will be a peaceful resolution (not necessarily appeasement). For example, the overthrow of communism was prayed for by millions of Christians for 40 years, and one day it was gone, without violence.

To answer your first question, the Catholic Church has a doctrine of "Infallibility", under which doctrine the church claims that the Pope speaks the words of God (God is speaking through the Pope) on matters of dogma. When such an event occurs, infallibility is cited in the text. An example would be a statement by the Church dealing with the sanctity of life.

So, since no claim was made, and this isn't a matter of dogma, the subject statement by the Pope doesn't fall into the category of infallible.

And, since I've been a practicing non-catholic for several years, I may have missed a fine point here or there. But that's what I remember from the Baltimoe catechism.