“Together with people of many different faiths around the world, International March of the Living Mourns the passing of Pope Francis at 88 years of age. Pope Francis, the fourth pontiff to visit Israel in 2014,  was a strong supporter of the goals of the March of the Living. He sent the following letter to the organization in 2015: 

“I ask you to convey to the organizers of the March of Living my closeness to them and their mission. All the efforts for fighting in favor of life are praiseworthy and have to be supported without any kind of discrimination. For this reason I am very close to these initiatives, that are not only against death but also against the thousands of discriminatory phobias that enslave and kill.

I thank them for all their doings, and pray to the Lord a blessing for them in this struggle for life, equality and dignity.”

After participating in the  2018 March of the Living, 16-year-old Camila Gorban Acosta, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, met Pope Francis in Vatican City, where she held the following exchange with him:

Camila Gorban Acosta: “Francisco, I’ve just been on the March of the Living. What can we teenagers do to prevent another genocide?”

Pope Francis: “Work for peace. Unite with people from different cultures and religions. Keep an open heart. Don’t discriminate. Welcome and understand others. May God bless you.”

Camila Gorban Acosta with Pope Francis, Vatican City. 16-year-old Camila Gorban Acosta, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, took part in the 2018 March of the Living.