Pope Francis appealed to religious leaders to help keep the world from the edge of the abyss and resist a new arms race, which he said is changing the spheres of influence of the Cold War, Reuters reported.

After two terrible world wars, a Cold War that kept the world on edge for decades, catastrophic conflicts taking place in every corner of the globe, accusations, threats and condemnations, we continue to be on the brink of a fragile precipice, and we do not want to fall, he said, speaking at the royal palace in Bahrain.

The pontiff, who supports a total ban on nuclear weapons and frequently condemns the global arms trade, said religious leaders cannot support wars.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain called for unanimity in ending the war in Ukraine and for serious dialogue for the good of all mankind.