Vatican City – “With great sorrow I am following the tragic news coming from Sudan, especially from the city of El Fasher in the war-torn region of North Darfur.” With these words, spoken after the Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV today drew everyone’s attention to one of the tragic conflicts that continue to tear apart the African continent, denouncing the substantial passivity and impotence of the international community. The Pontiff referred to “the indiscriminate violence against women and children, attacks on unarmed civilians, and serious obstacles to humanitarian aid are causing unbearable suffering for a population already exhausted by long months of conflict.” Then, from the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace, the Pope asked, “Let us pray that the Lord may receive the deceased with his embrace, strengthen those who are suffering, and move the hearts of those responsible. I renew my heartfelt appeal to all parties involved to agree to a ceasefire and to urgently open humanitarian corridors. Finally, I call on the international community to act with determination and generosity, to provide assistance and to support those working tirelessly to bring relief.”
Addressing first the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo exhorted them to “also pray for Tanzania, where, following the recent elections, violent clashes have broken out, leaving many victims. I urge everyone to avoid all forms of violence and to follow the path of dialogue.”
In the afternoon, Leo XIV celebrated Mass in Commemoration of all the faithful departed at Verano, Rome’s Monumental Cemetery, with a liturgy attended by some two thousand people.
“Today,” the Pope said in his homily, “we are not gathered merely to commemorate those who have departed from this world. Our Christian faith, founded upon Christ’s Paschal mystery, helps us to experience our memories as more than just a recollection of the past but also, and above all, as hope for the future. It is not so much about looking back, but instead looking forward towards the goal of our journey, towards the safe harbor that God has promised us, towards the unending feast that awaits us. There, around the Risen Lord and our loved ones, we hope to savor the joy of the eternal banquet.”
Christ himself, the Pope recalled in the final part of his homily, “will destroy death forever. Indeed, he has already conquered it, opening for us the way to eternal life by passing through the valley of death during his Paschal mystery. Thus, united to him, we too may enter and pass through the valley of death.
The Lord awaits us, and when we finally meet him at the end of our earthly journey, we shall rejoice with him and with our loved ones who have gone before us. May this promise sustain us, dry our tears, and raise our gaze upwards toward the hope for the future that never fades.”
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