VERONA, Italy (TND) — Pope Francis offered a message of reconciliation and compassion to all on Saturday as he led a series of dialogues at an Ancient Roman amphitheater in the Italian city of Verona.
Speaking from the city made famous in the modern era by Shakespeare's plays -- "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and "Romeo and Juliet" -- Francis spoke "Arena of Peace – Justice and Peace Shall Embrace," a series of roundtables on a range of issues that have been central to his papacy like climate change, migration, economics and disarmament.
Some of Francis' strongest words came as part of a longer discussion on the effort to end war in the 21st century, amplified by the more than two-year-old war in Ukraine as it fends off Russian invasion and Israel's highly destructive war aimed at eradicating Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“To end all forms of war and violence,” Francis said, according to the Vatican News agency. “We must stand by the little ones, respect their dignity, listen to them, and ensure their voice can be heard without being filtered.”
Before meeting with the public in the amphitheater, the Holy Father met with local priests, deacons, and other consecrated men and women in the city's Romanesque Basilica, the Basilica of Saint Zeno, which he called one of the finest examples of such structures in Italy. He said the basilica's design reminded him of a boat and those he gathered there with were all "navigating the seas of history to spread the joy of the Gospel."
This is the first year Francis chaired the "Arena for Peace" event.
ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ56axLR7zZqroqeeYsSwvsudZqmnoJp6p77Ap5qiq12ks6ex0axkpp2jqK6osYyonWakn6uybrLOq56irpWjsrS%2FjJqrZpmimruiec6fZKmdkZiybrHVnqWtZZOWwam7y6KaZpuYqr%2BktIyipKahl6eutbXOp2SwmaJisaa%2F06usnKyZpLtusMisp6WZk5q6prrTZqSin6KWwaq7zWacnKeepLq6ecKap6KskaG2tLmMnKOipZGpsm6vx5qloJ1dnLmwrsClZLCZoqK2r7OMr5yrp56WerO7zJ6mZpmemXqrwcuinK1lo52urLHSqZyaqpU%3D