December 8, 2024
— Pope Francis
Pope Francis describes it as an inexpressible pain “that leaves you without words.” A pain that defies human logic. It is the pain that comes with the death of a child.
His recent worldwide prayer intention was that “all parents who mourn the loss of a son or daughter find support in their community and may receive peace of heart from the Spirit of Consolation.”
He said that in the face of this indescribable pain, even words of encouragement spoken with good intentions do not help and often sound banal or sentimental. Instead, in a Vatican video message, he urged us to accompany parents who have lost a child, “to listen to them, to be close to them with love, imitating how Jesus Christ consoled those who were afflicted.”
He said: “You see, when one spouse loses the other, they are a widower or a widow. A child who loses a parent is an orphan. There’s a word for that. But when a parent loses a child, there’s no word. The pain is so great, that there’s no word.”
Pope Francis also observed that there are families who “by suffering such a terrible tragedy as this, have been reborn in hope,” very often because they had the support of their faith and that of the “Spirit of Consolation,” who brings peace of heart.
In his video, the pope offers personal stories of families who endured this unimaginable pain — Serena who wept with the pope at the hospital after losing her little daughter Angelina from a genetic illness, along with parents Luke and Paula, whose son Francesco died after being hit by a car, and Janet whose son William, 21, was killed by gang members because he stood against violence.
Pope Francis said such sorrow is so painful and inexplicable that we need “to cling to the thread of a prayer” directed at God, which will not ameliorate the tragedy but begs God to reveal where he is in the pain and provide strength to continue in prayer.
View Pope Francis’ prayer video for grieving parents
Information on upcoming retreats for grieving parents
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