ROME – It is “terrible” that the most profitable investments are those that make money “with death”. Pope Francis sends a warning to arms manufacturers in his general audience. It is not an excommunication, almost an appeal to the conscience of those who produce instruments of war, but also of those who invest in this business. Bergoglio’s words come at the end of a heartfelt appeal for peace: “Let us not forget to pray for peace. We pray for the people who are victims of war. War is always a defeat, always”, the pontiff reiterated to the faithful who were present in the Paul VI Hall where the traditional Wednesday meeting took place.
The Pope addressed a thought “to the tormented Ukraine, which suffers so much”, another “to the inhabitants of Palestine and Israel who are at war”. But he also mentioned the Rohingya and Myanmar: “We ask for peace. We ask for true peace for these peoples and for the whole world”, underlined Francis. Then the reference to the arms business: “Unfortunately today the investments that give the most income are the arms factories. Terrible, earning with death. We ask for peace, for peace to continue”, he concluded.
