In the usual post-Angelus appointment, on the occasion of the feast of All Saints, Pope Francis returns to express his thoughts on the armed conflicts that continue to bloodied various areas of the planet. His is a profound and moving appeal, an invitation to reflection and prayer addressed to all the faithful. “War is always a defeat, always! And it is ignoble, because it is the triumph of lies, of falsehood.” With these words, the Pope denounces not only the brutality of conflicts, but also the veil of falsehood that often envelops and justifies them.
An appeal for the tormented populations
In his message, Francis urges those present and all the faithful to pray “for the tormented Ukraine”, but not only: his thoughts also go to Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, South Sudan, and to all the peoples who suffer from wars. The Pope’s appeal is part of a context of continuous violence, fueled by political tensions, economic interests and, above all, by the painful search for domination. Every territory plagued by war, Francis underlines, tells stories of innocents affected, of families broken, of lives destroyed.
The suffering of the innocent: “And the innocent suffer!”
Among the most touching words of the speech, the Pope focuses on the suffering of the innocent, those who suffer the most serious consequences of war without ever choosing the causes. “What is sought”, he continues, “is the maximum interest for oneself and the maximum damage for the adversary, thus trampling on human lives, the environment, infrastructures, everything; and everything disguised with lies”. The Pope’s words are an accusation against the hypocrisy that pervades armed conflicts, in which the ideal of justice is exploited to justify senseless violence. In this context, Francis also draws attention to the recent victims in Gaza, recalling the “153 women and children massacred in recent days”, to give voice to those who are too often forgotten.
Solidarity with the people of Chad
But the call for peace and closeness does not stop here. Pope Francis also expresses his “closeness” to the people of Chad, devastated by a double tragedy. On the one hand, the country was hit by serious floods which caused material and human losses; on the other, it was the scene of a dramatic terrorist attack. In particular, Francis mentions the episode in which the Chadian army, in an attempt to attack the Boko Haram jihadists, mistakenly killed dozens of fishermen. This dramatic error comes in a context already marked by violence, in which a recent attack by the terrorist group against a military base caused 40 deaths.
A message of hope and peace
In the words of Pope Francis, the invitation to prayer and solidarity resonates once again. It is an appeal that wants to reach everyone’s hearts, a reminder that behind every conflict there are faces, families, innocents. The Pope reminds us that only in truth and peace can humanity find a path to hope.
Below is the full text of the Angelus on the occasion of the feast of All Saints.
Today, Solemnity of All Saints, in the Gospel (see Mt 5,1-12) Jesus proclaims the identity card of the Christian. And what is the Christian’s identity card? The Beatitudes. It is our identity card, and also the path to holiness (see Apostolic Exhortation. Enjoy and rejoice63). Jesus shows us a path, that of love, which He himself was the first to travel by becoming man, and which for us is at the same time gift of God And our response. Gift and response.
AND gift of Godbecause, as Saint Paul says, it is He who sanctifies (cf 1 Cor 6,11). And for this reason it is first of all the Lord that we ask to make us saints, to make our hearts similar to his (see Encyclical Letter. Dilexit nos168). With his grace he heals us and frees us from everything that prevents us from loving as he loves us (cf John 13.34), so that in us, as Blessed Carlo Acutis said, there is always “less of me to leave room for God”.
And this brings us to the second point: ours answer. The Father of heaven, in fact, offers us his holiness, but does not impose it on us. It sows in us, it makes us taste it and see its beauty, but then it waits for our response. He leaves us the freedom to follow his good inspirations, to let ourselves be involved in his projects, to make his feelings our own (see Dilexit nos179), placing ourselves, as He taught us, at the service of others, with an increasingly universal charity, open and aimed at everyone, at the whole world.
We see all this in the lives of the saints, even in our time. Let us think, for example, of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, who in Auschwitz asked to take the place of a family man condemned to death; or to Saint Teresa of Calcutta, who spent her life serving the poorest of the poor; or to Bishop Saint Oscar Romero, murdered on the altar for having defended the rights of the poorest against the abuses of bullies. And so we can make a list of many saints, many: those we venerate on the altars and others, who I like to call the saints “next door”, the everyday, hidden ones, who carry on their daily Christian life. Brothers and sisters, how much hidden holiness there is in the Church! We recognize many brothers and sisters shaped by the Beatitudes: poor, meek, merciful, hungry and thirsty for justice, peacemakers. They are people “full of God”, incapable of remaining indifferent to the needs of others; they are witnesses of bright paths, possible for us too.
Let’s ask ourselves now: do I ask God, in prayer, for the gift of a holy life? Do I let myself be guided by the good impulses that his Spirit inspires in me? And do I personally commit to practicing the Beatitudes of the Gospel, in the environments in which I live?
May Mary, Queen of All Saints, help us to make our lives a path of holiness.
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After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters!
I express my closeness to the people of Chad, in particular to the families of the victims of the serious terrorist attack a few days ago, as well as to those affected by the floods. And regarding these environmental catastrophes, we pray for the populations of the Iberian peninsula, especially the Valencian community, overwhelmed by the “DANA” storm: for the deceased and their loved ones, and for all the families damaged. May the Lord support those who suffer and those who bring help. Our closeness to the people of Valencia.
I affectionately greet all of you, pilgrims from various countries, families, parish groups, associations and school groups. In particular the faithful coming from Rignac (France).
And I greet the participants in the “Race of the Saints”, organized by the Don Bosco Missions Foundation. Dear friends, this year too you remind us that the Christian life is a race, but not like the world runs, no! It’s the race of a loving heart! And thank you for your support in building a sports center in Ukraine.
We pray for the tormented Ukraine, we pray for Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and for all the peoples who suffer from wars. Brothers and sisters, war is always a defeat, always! And it is ignoble, because it is the triumph of lies, of falsehood: one seeks the maximum interest for oneself and the maximum damage for the adversary, trampling on human lives, the environment, infrastructures, everything; and all masked with lies. And the innocent suffer! I think of the 153 women and children massacred in recent days in Gaza.
Tomorrow will be the annual commemoration of all the faithful departed. Those who can these days go to pray at the graves of their loved ones. Tomorrow morning I too will go to celebrate Mass in the Laurentino Cemetery in Rome. Let’s not forget: the Eucharist is the greatest and most effective prayer for the souls of the deceased.
I wish everyone a happy celebration in the company of the Saints. I greet all of you, I greet the boys of the Immaculate who are good! And please don’t forget to pray for me. Happy holiday! Have a nice lunch and see you.
