Pope Francis will visit northern Italy next month to honor those lost on both sides of World War I.
The visit is a personal one for Francis, as he remembers the "many painful stories from the lips of [his] grandfather," who fought in the war. Pope Francis will visit the locations of several WWI battles, including some where his paternal grandfather, Giovanni Carlo Bergoglio, fought. Bergoglio received a "certificate of good conduct" at the end of the war, The Associated Press reports, and he immigrated to Argentina from Italy roughly 10 years after returning home.
Francis' visit comes in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I. The Vatican said Francis will "pray for the victims of all wars during the visit." Francis will lay a wreath at the Fogliano di Redipuglia Austro-Hungarian cemetery on Sept. 13 and will celebrate a local Mass to honor 100,000 Italians lost in the war.
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