Global war on marriage, says Pope Francis

Pope Francis with a newly married couple

"A global war" to destroy marriage exists nowadays, said the Pope.

It is waged not with weapons but ideas such as gender theory, he added, describing this concept as an ideology that is seizing new ground.

The couple who argue and face marital difficulty must make peace before the end of the day, he added. "Don't forget the three golden expressions that can help keep a marriage afloat."May I, thank you and sorry," he concluded.

Francis made his comments in an impromptu response to a question at a meeting of the small Catholic community in the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia.