Vatican City, May 26, 2020 / 08:45 am (CNA).- In a letter to an Italian journalist Monday, Pope Francis said we should pray for mothers to have courage as they face the challenges of the post-coronavirus world.

“The question of every mother resounds in the heart: ‘What world will my child live in?’” the pope wrote.

“Let us pray for them, so that the Lord may give them the courage to accompany their children with the trust that it will certainly be a different world, but it will always be a world loved very much by the Lord.”

Pope Francis spoke about mothers in a letter sent May 25 to journalist Nina Fabrizio, author of the book “Francesco, il Papa delle Donne” (Francis: the Pope of Women).

The book describes Pope Francis’ connections with women from German chancellor Angela Merkel to women living on the streets, as well as his various writings and speeches to women and about issues related to womanhood.

The author gave Pope Francis a copy of the book, together with a letter and some reporting she did on the fears and challenges facing pregnant mothers during the coronavirus crisis.

Pope Francis thanked Fabrizio for the book and articles and noted that they had helped him to better understand “the feeling of women awaiting childbirth” during the pandemic.

He said that “today, motherhood is demeaned, because the only growth which interests us is economic growth.”

“There are mothers who risk arduous journeys to desperately try to give a better future to their offspring,” the pope said, noting that mothers are often judged by people “with full stomachs” but “hearts empty of love.”

Fabrizio told CNA she was pleased Pope Francis brought up the issue of motherhood being demeaned, since it was not something she addressed in the book. His message is “somewhat strong,” she said.