For seven hours, one name followed another until every child had been remembered.
According to the National Catholic Reporter, the vigil was led by Matteo Zuppi, a widely respected figure in the Catholic Church known for his efforts to reunite children separated by conflict.
During the event, Cardinal Zuppi read the names and ages of every child reported killed in the Israel-Gaza war — including the 16 Israeli children killed in the October 7 attacks and more than 12,000 Palestinian children who have died since. The list filled 469 pages.
Zuppi said the reading was intended to ensure that the children were not reduced to statistics.
“It is an insistent prayer so that the war may cease, so that humanity may prevail,” he said.
The vigil continued late into the night, with every name read aloud and none omitted.