A true "world war" rather than a "piecemeal" one. The Pope addressed hard words at the close of the general audience, in front of thousands of faithful assembled in St. Peter's Square. Pope Francis detaches himself from the written discourse and mentions the countries suffering as a result of the conflicts: Ukraine, where the rain of Russian drones continues; the Middle East, where the dead toll from bombings continues; and Myanmar, with its internal crisis and the Rohingya tragedy. In the midst of the world's dramas, the Pope offered a brief reflection on Church issues such as the vocations crisis. In his salutation to the Italians, Francis gazed at the consecrated women in St. Peter's Square and remarked, "I observe these novices and I wonder: how many of them are Italian? Huh? Few... There is a dearth of vocations to the consecrated life in Italy".