Pope Francis on November 11, 2018, noted after praying the noonday Angelus with pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, that it was the 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1. Often called the «War to end all Wars,» Francis noted that Benedict XV described it as «useless slaughter’.
«Observed today is the centenary of the end of World War I, which my Predecessor Benedict XV described as useless slaughter.’ Therefore at 1:30 pm today Italian time, bells will ring throughout the world, including those of St. Peter’s Basilica,» Pope Francis said. «The historical page of the first world conflict is a severe warning to all to reject the culture of war and to seek every legitimate means to put an end of conflicts, which still bloody several areas of the world.
«It seems that we don’t learn. While we pray for the victims of that enormous tragedy, we say forcefully: let us invest in peace, not in war. And we take, as emblematic sign that of Saint Martin of Tours, whom we remember today: he cut his cloak in half to share it with a poor man. May this gesture of human solidarity point out to all the way to make peace.»
