Holocaust Remembrance Day: 'Be aware of how this road of death, extermination, and brutality began'

January 27 marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day and stands as the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Photo by: peter89ba from pixabay

Highlights

By Abigail James (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
1/27/2021 (4 years ago)

Published in Europe

Keywords: Holocaust, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Pope Francis, Prayer,

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - During his general audience on Wednesday, held in the library of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis urges us to be aware that "these things [the Holocaust] can happen again."

"We commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and all those persecuted and deported by the Nazi regime. To remember is an expression of humanity. Remembrance is a sign of civilization. To remember is a condition for a better future of peace and fraternity," he stated, according to Catholic News Agency. 

"Remembrance also means being careful because these things can happen again, starting with ideological proposals that are intended to save a people and end up destroying a people and humanity. Be aware of how this road of death, extermination, and brutality began."

"The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust is a time to mourn those who disappeared and to reflect upon the choice of the individuals and governments that allowed this genocide to unfold. It is also a call for vigilance and for action, to address the root causes of hatred and prevent future atrocities from happening," stated Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, in an official message for the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

On this important day in history (and every other day of the year too), let us remember what happened during this tragic period of history. Let us pay tribute to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and pray for their souls. And let us work hard to prevent something like this from ever happening again.