The Vatican has published a letter from Pope Francis to Auxiliary Bishop Baldassare Reina, the viceregent of Rome, in recognition of an effort by church leaders 80 years ago.
Pope Pius XII, who served from 1939 to 1958, on June 4, 1944, called on the Virgin Mary to protect Vatican City when the Germans and Allied forces fought nearby.
Francis wrote in the Tuesday correspondence that believers should “pray for the victims of the Second World War and to reflect anew on the terrible scourge of war. We cannot and must not give in to the logic of weapons!” he urged.
Pushing for peace in all parts of life, Francis urged others to pursue “reconciling tensions in the family, at work, at school and among friends.”
On March 3, discussing the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip—started after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that led to the murder of 1,200 people in southern Israel—during prayers in St. Peter’s Square, Francis asked: “Do we really think we are building a better world in this way?
“Enough, please. Let us all say: Enough, please” and “Stop the war.”
