Sins of the Grandchildren

The pope in the past has recalled the "many painful stories from the lips of my grandfather."

"Today, too, the victims are many," fallen to behind-the-scenes "interests, geopolitical strategies, lust for money and power," the pope said.

He lamented that the human toll of "senseless massacres" and "mindless wars" has been met with apathy.  Francis urged: "Humanity needs to weep, and this is the time to weep."

The hope of every parent is that their children will learn from their mistakes and not repeat them.

The hope of every soldier is that the sacrifices they make aren't in vain.

It's this hope that keeps us moving forward, against all odds.

Hope of a better tomorrow vs fear that this is all there is.

When we put ourselves first, we doom our children to suffer as our grandparents did.  We dihonour the sacrifices made on our behalf.  We take a step back.

And come that much closer to proving the cynics right.