The Young Pope upon arrival at this memorial, didn't say a word and instead with many onlookers took a small walk up to it. In front of it, he laid his hand and prayed silently, deeply for those lost, innocent souls to the Lord.
Immortal God, holy Lord,
Father and Protector of all You have created,
we raise our hearts to You today for those
who have passed out of this mortal life.
In Your loving mercy, Father of all,
be pleased to receive them in Your heavenly company,
and forgive the failings and faults
they may have done from human frailty.
Your only Son, Christ, our Saviour,
suffered so cruelly that
He might deliver them from the second death.
By his merits may they share in the glory
of His victory over sin and death.
For all the faithful who have died we pray,
but in particular for those dear to us,
parents, relatives and friends.
nor do we forget all who did good to us while on earth,
who helped us by their prayers, sacrifice and example.
We pray also for any who may have done us harm,
and stand in special need of Your forgiveness.
May the merits and prayers of our Virgin Mother,
Mary, and those of all the Angels and Saints,
speak for us and assist them now.
This we ask in Christ's name.
Amen.
Afterwards, the Pope turned his attention to the large crowd that gathered and decided to give a speech. "Dear Friends, I feel many different emotions standing here at the Memorial, where countless of lives were taken in a senseless act of destruction. Here grief is palpable. The water we see flowing towards that memorial reminds us of all those lives which fell prey to those who think that destruction, tearing down, is the only way to settle conflicts. It is the silent cry of those who were victims of a mindset which knows only violence, hatred and revenge. A mindset which can only cause pain, suffering, destruction and tears. The flowing water is also a symbol of our tears. Tears at so much devastation and ruin, past and present. This is a place where we shed tears, we weep out of a sense of helplessness in the face of injustice, murder, and the failure to settle conflicts through dialogue. Here we mourn the wrongful and senseless loss of innocent lives because of the inability to find solutions which respect the common good. This flowing water reminds us of yesterday’s tears, but also of all the tears still being shed today.
This place of death became a place of life too, a place of saved lives, a hymn to the triumph of life over the prophets of destruction and death, to goodness over evil, to reconciliation and unity over hatred and division. It is a source of great hope that in this place of sorrow and remembrance I can join with leaders representing the many religious traditions which enrich the life of this great city. I trust that our presence together will be a powerful sign of our shared desire to be a force for reconciliation, peace and justice in this community and throughout the world. For all our differences and disagreements, we can live in a world of peace. In opposing every attempt to create a rigid uniformity, we can and must build unity on the basis of our diversity of languages, cultures and religions, and lift our voices against everything which would stand in the way of such unity. Together we are called to say “no” to every attempt to impose uniformity and “yes” to a diversity accepted and reconciled.
This can only happen if we uproot from our hearts all feelings of hatred, vengeance and resentment. We know that that is only possible as a gift from heaven. Here, in this place of remembrance, I would ask everyone together, each in his or her own way, to spend a moment in silence and prayer. Let us implore from on high the gift of commitment to the cause of peace. Peace in our homes, our families, our schools and our communities. Peace in all those places where war never seems to end. Peace for those faces which have known nothing but pain. Peace throughout this world which God has given us as the home of all and a home for all. Simply PEACE.
In this way, the lives of our dear ones will not be lives which will one day be forgotten. Instead, they will be present whenever we strive to be prophets not of tearing down but of building up, prophets of reconciliation, prophets of peace...Amen."
