Pope Francis' homecoming tour of South America has taken him to Paraguay, where he was emphatic in his praise of the efforts of the country's women. He praised the women of the country in a sermon at the shrine of the country’s patron Madonna on Saturday, the second-to-last day of his weeklong visit to South America.
Pope Francis recalled the role of women in the aftermath of the country’s 1864-70 war against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
The pope paid tribute to the “wives and mothers of Paraguay, who at great cost and sacrifice were able to lift up a country defeated, devastated and laid low by war.…Then and now, you found the strength not to let this land lose its bearings.”