Pope Francis kicked off a month-long marathon of worldwide Catholic prayer on Saturday, May 1, to ask God for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the occasion, the pontiff said money spent on armaments should be used instead to prevent future outbreaks.

Pope Francis presided at the prayer of the Holy Rosary in St. Peter’s Basilica on the first day of May, a month Catholics traditionally dedicate to daily prayer to the Madonna.

Each day during the month, Catholics have been asked to pray for a specific category of people affected by the pandemic, such as those who were unable to say goodbye to their dying loved ones, health workers, the poor, the homeless and those thrown into economic difficulty.

The pope prayed that “this difficult trial ends and that horizons of hope and peace return.”

He asked the Madonna to “touch consciences so that enormous sums spent to increase and perfect armaments be destined instead to promote adequate studies to prevent similar catastrophes in the future”.

Catholics in 30 shrines around the world that are dedicated to the Madonna, such as the Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and the Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, will take turns leading the prayers each day during the month.

The Holy Rosary, which will be broadcast on television and streamed on the internet each day at 6 p.m. in Rome (1600 GMT), will be closed by the pope at the end of the month at a service in the Vatican gardens.

At Saturday’s service, Pope Francis blessed 30 sets of rosary beads that will be sent to the 30 shrines taking part.