Pope asks military to 'place weapons at the service of peace and fraternity'
Pope Francis has asked the military to "put weapons at the service of peace and fraternity", in a message sent today on the occasion of the 64th international military pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Lourdes, in France.
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"Dear soldiers, the Pope invites you to stand up and walk with courage and perseverance. Be soldiers of integrity and proud to honor your uniform, your motto and your homeland, but also be aware that you are part of a unique human family, torn and wounded, but that Christ came to redeem and save by the power of love, and not by the violence of weapons," reads the message sent by the Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, on behalf of the pontiff.
Francis urged the members of the armed forces to be "sentinels of peace," as Saint John Paul II used to say.
"The world needs you, especially in this dark moment of our history. We need men and women of faith capable of putting weapons at the service of peace and fraternity," he added.
In his message, the Pope also entrusted "to the mercy of God all the soldiers who died serving their country or in international peacekeeping operations" and sent his blessing "to all those present in Lourdes and their families, as well as to the soldiers engaged on various fronts, in peace missions far from their country, and to the wounded who are suffering."
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