杏MAP导航

By Joseph Tulloch

On Thursday, 2 November, 杏MAP导航 Francis celebrated Mass for All Souls' Day at Rome鈥檚 Military Cemetery.

In his homily 鈥� delivered off-the-cuff, without the aid of notes 鈥� the 杏MAP导航 remembered those who have gone before us, particularly those whose lives have been 鈥渃ut short鈥� by war.

Memory and hope

鈥淎 celebration like today,鈥� said 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渂rings with it two thoughts: memory and hope.鈥�

All Souls鈥� Day, he said, brings to mind 鈥渢he people who went before us鈥�, both 鈥渢hose who did good鈥� and 鈥渢hose who did not do so much good, but 鈥� were received in God鈥檚 mercy.鈥�

At the same time, 杏MAP导航 Francis suggested, the Commemoration brings to mind 鈥渉ope, which is memory looking forward.鈥�

We hope, he said, for a future encounter in God鈥檚 Kingdom 鈥渨ith everyone鈥�, saints and sinners alike.

Lives cut short

The 杏MAP导航 then reflected on the graves of the soldiers buried nearby.

鈥淚 would like to dwell on something that happened to me at the entrance [to the cemetery]鈥�, he said.

鈥淚 was looking at the age of these fallen soldiers. The majority [died] between 20 and 30. Lives cut short, lives without a future, here.鈥�

鈥淚 thought of the parents,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis continued, 鈥渢he mothers who received that letter: 'Madam, I have the honour of informing you that your son is a hero.鈥� 'Yes, a hero, but they took him away from me.' "

"So many tears in these lives cut short.鈥�

Conflicts today

Looking at these graves, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥淚 could not help but think of today's wars.鈥�

There are, he said, 鈥渟o many deaths. Life is destroyed without any awareness.鈥�

Echoing an appeal he has made consistently over the past few months, the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥淲ars are always a defeat. Always.鈥�

鈥淟et us pray to the Lord for our dead,鈥� he urged, 鈥渇or everyone. May the Lord receive them all.鈥�

鈥淎nd may the Lord also have mercy on us and give us hope; hope that we might be able to go on and be with Him when He calls us.鈥�