The Pope called for respect for religious freedom along with reconciliation and peace rather than hatred in Asia. Benedict XVI launched this appeal after expressing his concern over “the events in recent days in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan”. Speaking at the General Audience on the eve of his departure for the UK the Pontiff then commented on, “how much the Church owes to brave women who are full of faith, who have given a decisive boost to its renewal.” Mentioning Chiara d’Assisi, he added: “They are saints who change the world for the better, transforming it in a lasting way, injecting energy that only the Gospel can arouse.”