Vatican City, 4 July 2016 – After the Angelus prayer, the Pope expressed his closeness to the wounded and the families of the victims of the attacks in Dhaka and Baghdad. "Let us pray together for them and for the deceased, and let us ask the Lord to convert the heart of the violent, blinded by hatred".

He also greeted various groups of faithful, including those of the Italian diocese of Bergamo, from Bragança in Portugal, and his fellow countrymen from Chilecito, La Rioja, in Argentina. He mentioned the pilgrims who have reached Rome by following the ancient Via Salaria, the members of the Italian Federation of Equestrian Tourism who reached the city on horseback, some even from Krakow, and those who came by bicycle or motorcycle from Cardito, Naples.

Finally, he mentioned that the memory of St. Maria Goretti will be celebrated next Wednesday, in the context of the Holy Year of Mercy. This martyr girl, "before dying, forgave her murderer. This brave girl deserves the applause of the entire square".