Junno Arocho Esteves - Catholic News Service

“To the extent that the difficulties seem more insurmountable and the prospects of security and peace seem more unclear, our prayer should be more insistent,” he said.

The pope’s message “can be summarized like so: ‘Enough now, enough with this conflict,'” Cardinal Turkson told Vatican Radio on July 20.

Pope Francis said he plans to focus on mercy, the legacy of St. John Paul II and marriage in his upcoming visit to Poland.

“With his words, with his comfort, the Holy Father can alleviate this awful memory to restore the vigor and desire for hope of all these people.”

The pope’s visit will be his 16th trip outside Italy.

The pope will attend two ecumenical events and celebrate Mass with Catholics when he visits on Oct. 31.

Pope Francis and Ahmad el-Tayeb, the grand imam of al-Azhar University, met at the Vatican on May 23.

Authorities arrested six people who have maintained contact with a couple that left Italy to join the Islamic State in Syria.

The pope signed 12 decrees, including one recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Jesuit Father John Sullivan.