Francis invites European young people to learn from the example of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, who refused to go to war for Hitler.
Pope Francis has said that the war in Ukraine calls for a rethinking of the doctrine of "just war." In an address to young people gathered for a European youth conference, he seemed to urge more youth to be conscientious objectors.
The Pope has spoken out against war countless times, and often recalls the tragic loss of life of young people - especially, in the past, a country's young men.
Last weekend, in an interview with Argentina's Telam, he recalled his visits to various European war cemeteries.
“I saw the age of the dead and I cried,” he said, mourning "those dead boys." “I’m not embarrassed to say it."
With your whole life before you
In his message to the European youth conference, he wondered if young people wouldn't lead the world with fewer wars:
A blessed objector
He then invited the youth to get to know a young father, beatified by Benedict XVI, who died for resisting service in Hitler's army.
