Pope: Too many young people die in madness of war

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

To win the madness of war, too many young people die.

Pope Francis decried this reality at the conclusion of his General Audience on Wednesday, marking the eleventh anniversary of his election as Pope.

During his greetings to Italian-speaking pilgrims, the Pope once again renewed his insistent invitation to pray for populations wounded by conflicts.

Persevere in prayer

The Holy Father invited all faithful this Lent to commit themselves to performing acts of Christian solidarity. "Let us persevere in fervent prayer for those who suffer the terrible consequences of war," he urged.

In the past twelve months, from March 13, 2023, through today, the Holy Father has made more than 150 appeals for "martyred" Ukraine and more than 60 others for a ceasefire in the Middle East.

Rosary of a young soldier killed

As he addressed the faithful in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father revealed that earlier in the day he had received "a Rosary and a Gospel from a young soldier who died on the front line."

Recalling how this late soldier had "prayed with this," the Pope lamented how "so many young people, so many young people, go to die!"

With this in mind, the Holy Father invited everyone to pray for peace in our world.

"Let us pray to the Lord that He may grant us the grace to overcome this madness of war, which is always a defeat."