In a letter addressed to Bishop Jacques Habert of Bayeux and Lisieux, Pope Francis commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Allied forces landing in Normandy.
By Linda Bordoni
Pope Francis’ letter commemorating the landing of the Allied Forces in Normandy on 6 June 1944 was read during a ceremony in Bayeux Cathedral on the eve of the anniversary, in the presence of religious, civil and military authorities.
Expressing his closeness to all those present at the ceremony, the Pope reflected on the collective and military effort that led to the liberation of Europe and on the immense sacrifices made.
“The landing generally evokes the disaster of this terrible global conflict, where so many men, women, and children suffered, so many families were torn apart, and so much destruction was caused,” he wrote.
Evoking the image of Normandy’s cities – Caen, Le Havre, Saint-Lô, Cherbourg, Flers, Rouen, Lisieux, Falaise, Argentan – and many others, which were completely destroyed along with the lives of innumerable innocent civilian victims and those who endured tremendous suffering due to the bombings, the Pope emphasized the importance of remembering these events to condemn and reject war unequivocally.
The World War II Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
Never again war!
Citing Saint Paul VI’s plea at the United Nations in 1965, “Never again war!” the Holy Father lamented the fading memory of past mistakes, and expressed his concern that the notion of a widespread war is becoming increasingly normalized.
“It is indeed worrying that the hypothesis of a generalized conflict is sometimes again seriously considered, that people are gradually becoming familiar with this unacceptable eventuality. People want peace! They want conditions of stability, security, and prosperity where everyone can calmly fulfill their duty and destiny,” he wrote.
He condemned the pursuit of ideological, nationalist, or economic ambitions that jeopardize this possibility, describing it as a grave fault against humanity and a sin before God.
Prayers
The Pope then called for prayers for those who instigate and perpetuate wars.
“Let us pray for the men who want wars, those who start them, senselessly fuel them, maintain and prolong them unnecessarily, or cynically profit from them. May God enlighten their hearts, may He show them the procession of misfortunes they cause!” he implored.
He also called for prayers for peacemakers, recalling that the peacemakers shall be called children of God” (Mt 5:9).
And encouraging peacemakers to continue their efforts to foster peaceful encounters and dialogue, the Holy Father said “May they tirelessly persist in their efforts, and may their efforts be crowned with success.”
Finally, Pope Francis did not neglect to ask for prayers for the victims of all wars.
“Let us pray for the victims of wars; the wars of the past and the present. May God welcome all those who have died in these terrible conflicts, may He come to the aid of all those who suffer from them today,” and he highlighted how “the poor and the weak, the elderly, women, and children are always the first victims of these tragedies.”
Achille Muller, the last survivor of the Free French Forces at a D-Day commemoration
