Pope Francis has been a consistent and vocal personality in condemning the arms trade, and he raised his voice on the issue again in his latest prayer video, published June 2.
The video begins showing two world leaders sitting at a table to sign a join-accord, exchanging copies of the agreement to sign while Pope Francis says that “it's an absurd contradiction to speak of peace, to negotiate peace, and at the same time promote or permit the arms trade.”
“Is this war or that war really a war to solve problems, or is it a commercial war for selling weapons in illegal trade, and so that the merchants of death get rich?” he asks, as images of explosions and gunfire interchange with frames of the leaders shaking hands dripping with blood.
“Let us put an end to this situation,” he said. “Let us pray all together that national leaders may firmly commit themselves to ending the arms trade which victimizes so many innocent people.”
The topic is one Pope Francis has spoken out about since the beginning of his pontificate, and which he continues to bring up in any relevant occasion.
In fact, the first line of the video is taken almost verbatim from the Pope's May 2014 speech to seven new ambassadors to the Holy See who presented him with their credentials.
The prayer intentions typically highlight issues of importance not only for Pope Francis, but for the world, such as families, the environment, the poor and homeless, Christians who are persecuted, youth, women and a swath of other relevant topics in the world today.