CAACUPE, Paraguay — Pope Francis Saturday praised the women of Paraguay who, as the “lifeblood” and “keepers of the memory,” resuscitated a country devastated by war.

It was the pope’s second reference to the War of the Triple Alliance, a 19th-century conflict considered one of the deadliest in Latin American history and one that still informs Paraguayan identity.

A man shades himself with an Argentine flag between nuns waiting for Pope Francis to arrive to give Mass at the Shrine of the Virgin of Caacupe, in Caacupe, Paraguay, Saturday. The Associated Press

Pope Francis pauses during a meeting with representatives of civil society at the San Jose school stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Saturday. The Associated Press

At least 70 percent of Paraguay’s male population was killed, and the nation would have ceased to exist if not for the perseverance of women, historians say.

“Then and now, you found the strength not to let this land lose its bearings,” Francis said, addressing the women of Paraguay. “God bless your perseverance, God bless and encourage your faith, God bless the women of Paraguay, the most glorious women of America.” He spoke at Paraguay’s most important Catholic shrine, in Caacupe.

In contrast to the pope’s portrait of the “glorious” women of Paraguay, however, is the country’s high rates of violence against women and unwanted teenage pregnancies. Roughly 20 percent of Paraguayan women reported abuse by partners in a 2014 World Health Organization study, and of those, nearly half reported getting pregnant against their will.

Still, the pope’s message resonated with an enthusiastic audience numbering in the hundreds of thousands. The War of the Triple Alliance pitted Paraguay against a powerful coalition formed by Brazil, Uruguay and the pope’s native Argentina. It may be that to hear an Argentine pope acknowledge Paraguay’s suffering was especially significant.

Outside the Caacupe sanctuary and basilica, Paraguayans of all ages filled the streets and a nearby plaza. They spoke Guarani among themselves and then watched in silence as Francis said Mass in Spanish, then took communion from priests who spread out among the crowd.

Maria Gonzalez wept quietly as she held one of her five daughters in her arms.

“This moved me very deeply,” Gonzalez, 40, a social worker, said. “It is so important to us to hear that the Paraguayan woman is unique .… When the war came here, the women stepped forward to defend and save Paraguay. It was women who rebuilt Paraguay.”

Juan Irrasabal, a medical student, said he was inspired by the pope’s vigor and engagement with the people.

“It makes me proud to see a man of his age be so alive in body and spirit. It shows the power of spirit,” he said.

Related Stories