Pope Francis called the faithful to pray for two countries in crisis, Afghanistan and Haiti.
The Holy Father asked for this, and led the faithful in prayer, after he prayed the midday Angelus on August 15.
With the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban has progressively and rapidly taken over the main centers of the country. Their forces are currently surrounding Kabul, the capital. The insurgents say they will not take the city by force and want to negotiate with the Afghan government.
Haiti, meanwhile, already suffering political unrest after the July assassination of the president, was hit by a 7.2 earthquake in the early mornings of Saturday.
The death toll is already at more than 300, but many hundreds more will surely be added.
This quake was more powerful than the 2010 quake, which the country still hasn't recovered from. That quake killed more than 220,000 people.
In addition, there's a possibility that Tropical Storm Grace will pass over or near Haiti on Monday.
The Pope said:
