Pope Francis emphasized hope during his traditional Easter message, offering prayers on Sunday to the people of Ukraine and Russia, in addition to praising nations that are hosting refugees.
In front of tens of thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the pope also called on Israelis and Palestinians to forge a “climate of trust”, as a new wave of violent incidents occurred recently.
This is how Francis, alongside dozens of prelates, marked the happiest day in Christianity. According to Christian belief, Easter celebrates the day when Jesus rose from the dead after his crucifixion.
The 86-year-old pontiff crowned the celebration with a speech on troubled places in the world, promoting “trust between individuals, peoples and nations”.
The pope’s traditional Easter message is known by its Latin name, ” Urbi and orbi “which means “To the city and to the world”.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Pope Francis has often called for an end to hostilities. On Sunday, he asked for prayers for the “martyred” Ukrainian people.
“Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey to peace and spread the light of Easter on the Russian people,” the pope implored during his Easter address, delivered while seated in a chair on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
“Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones to war. Ensure that prisoners can return safely to their families,” he added.
He also urged the international community to do everything possible to end the war in Ukraine and “all conflicts in the world, starting with Syria, which is still waiting for peace”.
Francis also prayed for those who lost loved ones in the earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey two months ago, killing tens of thousands.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and asylum seekers
With a recent upsurge in episodes of deadly violence affecting both Israelis and Palestinians, Pope Francis called for “a resumption of dialogue, in a climate of trust and mutual respect, between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace reigns in the City holy and in the whole region” of Jerusalem.
“Let us rejoice in the signs of hope that reach us from so many countries, starting with those that open their doors to all those fleeing war and poverty,” he said, without naming specific nations. .
The bloody conflicts listed by the Holy Father contrasted with the bright colors that reigned in St. Peter’s Square, thanks in particular to the presence of red tulips, yellow wreaths and other colorful seasonal flowers.
Some 45,000 people had gathered in the square at the start of the mass, in the middle of the morning, according to the Vatican security services. The crowd, however, grew to some 100,000 before the pontiff’s speech from the central balcony.
Still recovering from bronchitis, Pope Francis skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at the Colosseum in Rome due to unusually low nighttime temperatures.
Last week he was hospitalized for three days in Rome, where he was given intravenous antibiotics.
Towards the end of his more than two-hour public appearance on Sunday, the pope seemed to start to run out of steam. His voice became hoarse and he interrupted his speech at one point to cough.