Pope Francis has made an appeal for peace and disarmament in a letter sent from Rome's Gemelli hospital to Corriere della Sera editor-in-chief Luciano Fontana, ANSA reported.

In the letter dated March 14, a response to Fontana's message of support during the pope's illness, the Argentine pontiff stressed the importance of communication tools in achieving peace.

"We must disarm words, to disarm minds and disarm the Earth," said the pope, who has been in hospital with bilateral pneumonia since February 14.

"There is a great need for reflection, calmness, and an awareness of complexity.

"While war only devastates communities and the environment, without offering solutions to conflicts, diplomacy and international organizations are in need of new vitality and credibility.

"Religions, moreover, can draw from the spirituality of peoples to rekindle the desire for fraternity and justice, the hope for peace.

"All this requires commitment, work, silence, and words.

"Let us feel united in this effort, which heavenly Grace will continue to inspire and accompany".