Pope Francis at the Sicilian-American cemetery, Nettuno, Italy, November 2, 2017:
“We pray for all the dead, and especially these young people, in a moment in which so many young people die in battles every day because of this world war ‘in pieces’.”
“Even children are dying. Death is the fruit of war, and may the Lord give us the grace to cry.”
“Hope does not disappoint, but hope is often born and takes root in so many human wounds, so much suffering. Yet, amidst so much suffering, one looks up and says: ‘I know my savior is alive, but stop, Lord.’
“This is perhaps the prayer that naturally arises, looking at this cemetery, ‘Please Lord, stop, no more, no more war, no more this useless slaughter, as [Pope] Benedict XV said.”
“This is a place of hope, but also of tears. Humanity must not forget these tears. Humanity hasn’t learned the lesson of these tears, and seems not to want to learn it.”
“That’s war, the destruction of ourselves … it leaves wounds in the heart, and so many tears.”
“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, [is] “merciful and companionate with every people, and every person who’s oppressed.”
A prayer from the Hymnal of the E&R church:
O Christ, son of the living God, have mercy upon us.
Thou that sites at the right hand of the Father, have mercy upon us;
And deliver us for thy Name's sake.
AMEN.
O Christ, when thou didst open thine eyes on this fair earth, the angels greeted thee as the Prince of Peace and besought us to be of good will toward one another; but thy triumph is delayed and we are weary of war.
SAVE US AND HELP US, O LORD AND MASTER.
O Christ, the very earth groans with pain as the feet of armed men march across thy mangled form.
SAVE US AND HELP US, O LORD AND MASTER.
O Christ, may the Church, whom thou didst love into life; not fail thee in her witness for the things for which thou didst live and die.
TEACH US TO DO THY HOLY WILL, O LORD AND MASTER.
O Christ, the people who are called by thy Name are separated from each other in thought and life; still our tumults, take away our vain imaginings, and grant to thy people at this time the courage to proclaim the gospel of forgiveness, and faithfully to maintain the ministry of reconciliation.
TEACH US TO DO THY HOLY WILL, O LORD AND MASTER
O Christ, come to us in our sore need and save us;
O God, plead thine own cause and give us help, for vain is the help of man.
SAVE US AND HELP US, O LORD AND MASTER.
O Christ of God, by thy birth in the stable, save us and help us;
By thy toil at the carpenter's bench, save us and help us;
By thy sinless life, save us and help us;
By thy cross and passion, save us and help us.
SAVE US AND HELP US, O LORD AND MASTER.
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