Pope Francis, who has been suffering from a lung inflammation, said on Wednesday that he is feeling a lot better, although he still has to restrict how much he talks.

"I am much better but I have difficulty when I talk too much," the pontiff said at the start of his weekly audience, asking an aide to read the main text on his behalf.

The Pope, who turns 87 this month, arrived at the Vatican audience hall walking with the help of a cane.

Speaking briefly in a very low voice at the end of the audience, he called for prayers for the people of Ukraine, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories who are suffering from the effects of war.

"War is always a defeat, nobody wins, everybody loses, only the arms manufacturers win," he said.

The pope last week cancelled a planned trip to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai on doctor's orders after a bout of flu and lung inflammation.