Pope Francis celebrates the Mass of All Saints at the military cemetery in Rome | National Catholic Registry

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Pope Francis placed white flowers on some of the graves and paused at the graves to pray silently before offering Mass on the cemetery grounds.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis visited a military cemetery in Rome to pray on All Saints Day and offered a mass for the faithful departed.

During his broadcast live During his visit to the French military cemetery on Nov. 2, the pope walked past rows of graves, stopping occasionally to pray and give his blessing.

Vatican Media.

Pope Francis placed white flowers on some of the graves and paused at the graves to pray silently before offering Mass on the cemetery grounds.

In his homily, the pope said that while passing by the tombs, he noticed an unnamed one. He said, “Unknown. Died for France, 1944.

Vatican Media.

Vatican Media.

“In the heart of God is the name of all of us, but that is the tragedy of war,” commented Pope Francis.

The pope said the tombs should be a “message of peace”, urging people to stop making weapons of war.

Vatican Media.

Vatican Media.

“These tombs that speak, scream… They scream from within. They are shouting, ‘Peace,’” he said.

The cemetery was created at the end of World War II for soldiers who fought for France in Italy, including the French Expeditionary Force in Italy, which took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino in May 1944.

Vatican Media.

Vatican Media.

Many of the soldiers buried in the cemetery came from Morocco and Tunisia, according to Vatican News, which reported that of the 1,888 soldiers buried in the cemetery in Rome, 1,142 were Muslim. These graves are marked with a crescent moon on each headstone.

“I am sure that all who have gone of goodwill, called by their country to defend it, are with the Lord. But we, who are on the road, do we fight enough so that there are no wars? asked the pope.

Vatican Media.

Vatican Media.

“Why are countries’ economies strengthened by the arms industry? »

There were just over 100 people present at the papal mass in the military cemetery located about three kilometers north of the Vatican.

Vatican Media.

Vatican Media.

The pope remembered those who died on the coasts of Normandy and at the Battle of Anzio near Rome and on the Piave River in Italy during World War I.

“These people – good people – died in war, they died because they were called to defend their homeland, to defend values, to defend ideals and, many other times, to defend political situations sad and lamentable,” said Pope Francis.

Vatican Media.

Vatican Media.

“And these are the victims, the victims of the war, which devours the children of the fatherland”, he said.

On All Saints Day and throughout November, the Church makes a special effort to remember, honor and pray for the dead.

Vatican Media.

Vatican Media.

There are many different cultural traditions surrounding the holiday, but one of the most honored is the practice of visit cemeteries. This year, the Vatican grants a plenary indulgence to Catholics who visit a cemetery to pray for the dead any day in November.

Last year the Pope visited the Teutonic Cemetery at the Vatican and, in 2019, he offered the Mass of All Saints to the Catacombs of Priscilla, one of the most important catacombs of the early Church in Rome.

Vatican Media.

Vatican Media.

In 2018, Pope Francis offered Mass at a cemetery for deceased children and unborn babies called the “Garden of Angels,” located in the Laurentin Cemetery on the outskirts of Rome.

Vatican Media.

Vatican Media.

In his homily at the French military cemetery, the Pope recalled a sign he had read at the door of another cemetery which read: “You who pass, think of your steps, and of your steps think of the last step.”

“May the Lord help us to sow and keep these…thoughts in our hearts,” he said.

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