Cardinal Pietro Parolin issued a message, on behalf of Pope Francis, to mark the 70th anniversary of the Allied landing at Normandy, a decisive moment that led to the end of World War II.
Pope Francis honored the soldiers that 'left behind their countries to land at the beaches of Normandy, with the goal to fight Nazi barbarism and to free occupied France.â?
He expressed his desire so that new generations recognize the efforts of those who paid such a dear sacrifice. In addition, the Pope asked that the memories of these events are passed on through the education of respect for everyone. He also wrote that this commemoration should also 'remind us that the exclusion of God from the lives of people and from societies contributes nothing but death and suffering.â?
Lastly, Pope Francis asked St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, patroness of Europe, to guide European nations towards the path of peace. The saint, better known as Edith Stein, was killed at the Auschwitz concentration camp during WWII.
AC/RCA
RR
JM
-BN
Up: PM