Pope Francis also drew attention to Africa and recalled that 40 years ago, St. John Paul II spoke out about the plight of the people of the Sahel.

“I am a friar and I remain a friar,” the Rev. Marco Tasca told his fellow Franciscans.

World War II in Europe ended on May 7, 1945, with the unconditional surrender of the German Reich. The official celebration is normally marked May 8.

The French bishops' conference has encouraged the faithful to "go to church to pray alone" and urged dioceses and parishes to attend to their people's faith life.

Italian Catholics will be able to attend Mass in public beginning on May 18, provided certain norms are respected.

It would be a powerful outward sign of unity in the church if the pope emeritus and those who advise him sought to avoid situations in which his public comments will be inevitably misused to suggest a division that Benedict has never wanted.