On All Souls' Day, Pope Francis continued his tradition of visiting yet another World War II military cemetery. This year, it was the English one.
The Pope looked carefully at the graves of the soldiers who passed. On other occasions, he regretted that there were not even names on many of the graves. This year, he asked the audience to reflect on the age of the people buried there, because many of them were in their twenties.
POPE FRANCIS
I thought of the parents. Of the mothers who receive that letter: “Madam, I have the honor to inform you that you have a hero son.” Yes, hero, but he has been taken from me. So many tears in these stolen lives and I can't help but think of the wars of today.
On All Souls' Day, the Pope once again stressed the senselessness of wars.
POPE FRANCIS
Always wars are a defeat, always. There is no total victory, no. Always. Yes, one wins the other but behind it is the defeat of the price paid. Let's pray to the Lord for our dead, for all, for all.
In this Roman cemetery, there are not only English soldiers but also the graves of those who belonged to the Commonwealth. A commission formed by several Commonwealth countries manages the maintenance of these over 400 graves.
At the end of the Mass, Pope Francis passed among them in silence.
JRB
TR: AT
