Pope Francis celebrates All Souls' Day Mass at CWGC Cemetery

On Thursday 2 November 2023, His Holiness Pope Francis led Mass at the CWGC’s Rome War Cemetery to celebrate All Souls’ Day. The service was live streamed and is available to view below:

The Pope lead the traditional All Souls Day mass from the cemetery, commemorating all those who have died. The selection of Rome War Cemetery the venue for one of the most holy ceremonies of the year has particular importance, falling on the anniversary year of the beginning of the Italian campaign.

CWGC Vice Chairman Peter Hudson CB, CBE greets His Holiness Pope Francis. Below: signing the Rome War Cemetery visitor's book.

Pope Francis was met at the cemetery by our Vice Chairman Vice Admiral Peter Hudson CB CBE and other members of Commission staff before visiting some of the graves of the war dead commemorated at Rome War Cemetery.  

During the service, Pope Francis noted the ages of those commemorated in the cemetery: "Lives cut short, lives without a future. I thought of the parents, of the mothers who received that letter."

Italy 1943-1945

The Italian Campaign bore witness to some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the Second World War. By early 1943, the tide of WWII had turned in the Allies favour and the liberation of Italy was a top priority. Despite initial gains, the campaign soon became bogged down and resembled many of the battles of the First World War as climate, terrain, lack of resources, and stiff resistance took their toll.

By the campaign’s end, German forces had suffered around 435,000 casualties, killed, wounded, and captured, while Allied casualties amount to some 311,000. More than 150,000 Italian civilians are estimated to have died in the fighting.

On June 3, 1944, as the Germans withdrew, Rome was declared an open city. Allied forces triumphantly entered the city on 5 June.

Rome War Cemetery came into existence shortly thereafter, primarily serving as a burial ground for the occupying garrison. A few graves were relocated from the surrounding areas, and it also became the final resting place for some soldiers and airmen who died as prisoners of war in Rome.

426 war dead are commemorated in Rome War Cemetery. They died between November 1942 and February 1947 and hailed from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Discover the story of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Oliver Vere Thompson DSO. Lieutenant Colonel Thompson is one of the war dead buried in Rome War Cemetery. Read his story on For Evermore: Stories of the Fallen and discover more about the men and women of both world wars who are commemorated by the CWGC.

Read his story

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