Pope Francis has made a powerful appeal for peace to world leaders.

“Once again the peace of all is threatened by partisan interests,” he stressed. Pope Francis appealed to those “with political responsibility to examine their consciences seriously before God, who is the God of peace and not of war, who is the Father of all, not just of some, who wants us to be brothers and not enemies.”

“May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war,” he said.

The full text of the Pope’s appeal can be seen here