Pope Francis called called for peace in Ukraine at his general audience where he had been presented with the death toll from the war earlier that morning.
At the end of the weekly public catechesis he said “Today, first thing in the morning, I received the statistics of the dead in Ukraine. It is terrible.
“War does not forgive; war is a defeat from the beginning. Let us pray to the Lord for peace, that he may give peace to all, to all of us.”
Pope Francis has been criticising the arms market for a long time. Whenever he has the opportunity, he speaks about the problems caused by the sale of war material.
“There is a fact, brothers and sisters, that should frighten us: the most profitable investments today are in arms factories. Profiting from death,” he said.
Another topic of this hearing was marriage. Specifically, the importance of bringing God into the couple’s relationship and preparing the couple’s faith.
“It would not be a bad thing, therefore, if, together with the juridical, psychological and moral information that is given, in the preparation of the bride and groom for marriage, the Holy Spirit, who makes them united, should be deepened in this spiritual preparation,” he said.
Once again, thousands of people filled St Peter’s Square, where the traditional ride in the popemobile and institutional greetings took place.