Pope starts prayer marathon, urges using weapons funds for pandemic research – MENAFN.COM

Pope starts prayer marathon, urges using weapons funds for pandemic research – MENAFN.COM

(MENAFN - Gulf Times) Pope Francis kicked off a month-long marathon of worldwide Roman Catholic prayer yesterday to pray for an end to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, and said money spent on armaments should be used instead to prevent future outbreaks. Francis presided at the recital of the rosary in St Peter's Basilica on the first day of May, a month Roman Catholics traditionally dedicate to daily prayer to the Madonna. Each day during the month, Roman Catholics have been asked to pray for a specific category of people affected by the pandemic, such as those who were unable to say goodbye to their dying loved ones, healthcare workers, the poor, the homeless and those thrown into economic difficulty. The Pope prayed that 'this difficult trial ends and that horizons of hope and peace return. He asked the Madonna to 'touch consciences so that enormous sums spent to increase and perfect armaments be destined instead to promote adequate studies to prevent similar catastrophes in the future. Catholics in 30 shrines around the world dedicated to the Madonna, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, will take turns leading the prayers each