( CNN ) -- Pope Benedict XVI spoke Saturday with the astronauts aboard the International Space Station , and specifically mentioned Cmdr . Mark Kelly 's wife , Gabrielle Giffords , who is recuperating from recent brain surgery . `` I know that Mark and his wife were the victim of a serious attack , and I hope that her health continues to improve , '' the pope said . Kelly thanked the pope for mentioning Giffords . The Arizona congresswoman was shot in the head in a January assassination attempt . The two men also talked about how technology used in space may be able to help relations between people on Earth . `` I think it must be obvious to you how we all live together on one Earth , and how absurd it is that we fight and kill each one , '' the pontiff said . `` We fly over most of the world and we do n't see borders , but at the same time we realize that people fight with each other and there is a lot of violence in this world , '' Kelly said . Unlike on Earth , technology on the space station allows for almost unlimited power from the sun , he said . `` If these technologies could be adopted more on Earth , we could possibly reduce some of that violence , '' he said . The space shuttle Endeavour launched last Monday on a 16-day mission .
Pope Benedict XVI speaks with the astronauts on Saturday . They talk about fighting on Earth . The pope acknowledges Cmdr . Mark Kelly 's wife , Gabrielle Giffords .