Pope Francis on the day of the dead: Christian hope gives meaning to life

Pope Francis visited a cemetery in Vatican City to pray on Monday of the dead and offered mass for the faithful departed.

“'Hope does not disappoint', St. Paul tells us. Hope attracts us and gives meaning to life… hope is a gift from God that draws us towards life, towards eternal joy. Hope is an anchor that we have on the other side, ”Pope Francis said in his homily on November 2.

The Pope offered Mass for the souls of the faithful departed at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy in the Teutonic Cemetery of Vatican City. He then stopped to pray at the tombs of the Teutonic Cemetery and then visited the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica to spend a moment in prayer for the souls of the deceased popes who are buried there.

Pope Francis prayed for all the dead in the prayers of the faithful at Mass, including "the faceless, voiceless and nameless dead, for God the Father to welcome them into eternal peace, where there is no longer any anxiety or pain."

In his impromptu homily, the pope said: "This is the goal of hope: to go to Jesus."

On the day of the dead and throughout the month of November, the Church makes a special effort to remember, honor and pray for the dead. There are many different cultural traditions around this time, but one of the most consistently honored is the practice of visiting cemeteries.

The Teutonic cemetery, located near St. Peter's Basilica, is the burial place of people of German, Austrian and Swiss descent, as well as people of other German-speaking nations, especially members of the Archconfraternity of Our Lady.

The cemetery is built on the historic site of the Circus of Nero, where the first Christians of Rome, including St. Peter's, were martyred.

Pope Francis sprinkled the tombs of the Teutonic Cemetery with holy water, stopping to pray in some tombs, adorned with fresh flowers and candles lit for the occasion.

Last year, the pope offered Mass for the Day of the Dead in the Catacombs of Priscilla, one of the most important catacombs of the early Church of Rome.

In 2018, Pope Francis offered mass in a cemetery for deceased and unborn children called the "Garden of the angels", located in the Laurentino cemetery on the outskirts of Rome.

In his homily, Pope Francis said that we must ask the Lord for the gift of Christian hope.

“Today, thinking of so many brothers and sisters who have died, it will do us good to look at the cemeteries… and repeat: 'I know that my Redeemer lives'. … This is the strength that gives us hope, a free gift. May the Lord give it to all of us, ”the pope said.