Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at Campo Verano Cemetery in Rome on Nov. 2 for All the Faithful Departed, marking All Souls’ Day. He also placed flowers on one of the cemetery’s oldest tombs.

The pope connected All Souls’ Day with the Nov. 1 Solemnity of All Saints, saying the Beatitudes offer a path toward a full and fulfilled life. He recalled a beatitude that St. Francis of Assisi added to the Canticle of the Creatures.

During the Mass, Pope Leo prayed for people who have recently lost loved ones, with particular attention to those whose family members were killed in war. He asked that the tears of mourners might reach those capable of ending armed conflict.

“We turn to our Father in heaven,” Pope Leo said. He also prayed that those tears “might touch the consciences of those who have the power to silence the weapons!”

The pope said faith in Christ transforms the bond between the living and the faithful departed rather than breaking it.