In his Angelus Address delivered for the Feast of All Souls, Pope Francis called on the faithful to pray for forgotten souls, as well as Christians who have died for their faith and in the service of others over the past year.
“We remember our brothers and sisters killed because they are Christians,” he said, and the many “who have sacrificed their lives to serve others.”
Addressing the crowds gathered in Saint Peter’s Square on Nov. 2 beneath an Autumn sun, the Holy Father also stressed the importance of praying for victims of war and violence, and for the “many ‘little ones’ crushed by hunger and misery.”
Praying for the departed is part of the tradition of the Church, Pope Francis said, especially through the Eucharistic Celebration, which is “the best spiritual help we can give to their souls, especially those who are most abandoned.”
“The foundation of prayer for the intercession of souls is found in the communion of the Mystical Body,” he added, quoting Lumen Gentium: “Fully conscious of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the pilgrim Church from the very first ages of the Christian religion has cultivated with great piety the memory of the dead.”
The practice of remembering the dead, caring for their graves, and offering intercessory prayers, Pope Francis said, gives testimony of the “certain hope” which has “take root in the certainty that death is not the last word… Read More
Source and Original Content by CNA