Pope Francis followed a rather new tradition by traveling to Nettuno, Italy on November 2. His goal was to pay respects to the 7,860 American soldiers buried on foreign ground. The American military cemetery is part of the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery. All these soldiers died for the liberation of southern Italy and Rome during World War II.
Pope Francis Visited the American Military Cemetery and Prayed for the End of Wars
During his visit, Pope Francis stated that he senses how the world slowly moves towards one of the biggest wars in history. Therefore, this day meant for the pontiff an opportunity to remember the terrors of battles and guide people and authorities towards peaceful lands.
“Please Lord, stop. No more wars. No more of these useless massacres.”
On the other hand, Pope Francis did not elaborate on what exactly makes an international conflict imminent. However, his speech can only underline the enmity between North Korea and the United States leaders. As of recently, these tensions culminated with warnings of nuclear bombs. At the same time, there are other sources of conflicts throughout the world that led to human suffering and losses of lives.
Pope’s speech was part of an annual commemoration of Roman Catholic’s dead that takes place on November 2. As per a modern tradition, the head of the Roman Catholic Church visited the American military cemetery in Nettuno. He placed around a dozen of white roses on the graves of American soldiers.
Vatican Will Host an International Conference on Nuclear War Topic in November
During his pilgrimage, the Pope stopped at the Ardeatine Caves. This is where Nazi soldiers gathered 335 Italian political prisoners, Catholics, Jews, and other persons to shot them from behind. This was their way to vindicate an attack on the previous day that killed 33 of their soldiers in March 1944.
The Pope will host a two-day event starting on November 10 at the Vatican. Numerous invitations were extended to Nobel peace laureates, top U.N. and NATO authorities, and international ambassadors. The goal of this conference is to find solutions to nuclear war threats.
Image source: 1