Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Pope Francis emphasised that the horrors of Auschwitz “must never be forgotten or denied” while also making passionate pleas for peace in current global conflicts.
Speaking after the Angelus prayer on Sunday, the Pontiff noted that this year marks 80 years since the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp.
“The horror of the extermination of millions of Jewish people and others of different faiths during those years must never be forgotten or denied,” he said on January 26.
The Pope noted that many Christians were also killed in Nazi death camps, “among whom there were numerous martyrs”. He renewed his “appeal for everyone to work together to eradicate the scourge of antisemitism, along with every form of discrimination and religious persecution”.
“Together, let us build a more fraternal, just world, educating young people to have hearts open to all, in the spirit of fraternity, forgiveness, and peace,” the Pontiff urged.
Addressing ongoing conflicts, the Pope spoke at length about the crisis in Sudan, which began in April 2023, describing it as “the most severe humanitarian crisis in the world” with “dramatic consequences even in South Sudan”.
“I stand close to the people of both countries and invite them to fraternity, solidarity, to avoid all forms of violence, and not to allow themselves to be manipulated,” the Pope declared. He called on warring parties to “stop hostilities and accept to sit at the negotiating table”, urging the international community to support peace talks and facilitate humanitarian aid.