(Vatican City) Ukraine, Middle East, international terrorism: Pope Francis on Sunday condemned the many “stumbling blocks” to peace in the world during his traditional message Urbi and orbi for the Easter holiday.
In front of some 100,000 faithful massed in Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican, the Argentinian Jesuit expressed his “deep concern” because of the attacks of recent days “in the Middle East, which according to him threaten the” dialogue “between Israelis and Palestinians”, against a backdrop of renewed violence in the region.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY VATICAN MEDIA VIA AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
The Pope greeting the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Rome.
As in 2022, his message gave a special place to the war in Ukraine. “Comfort the wounded and those who have lost loved ones to war and ensure that prisoners can return safely to their families,” he said, calling on the international community to “end this war and to all the conflicts that bloody the world”.
Citing twenty countries, the leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics mentioned in particular “Lebanon which is still in search of stability and unity”, Tunisia and its “social and economic problems”, the “serious socio-political crisis and humanitarian” in Haiti and the “victims of international terrorism” in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique and Nigeria.
He also had a thought for the victims of the earthquake which occurred in February in Turkey and Syria, which caused more than 56,000 deaths and damage estimated at more than 100 billion euros.
A few minutes earlier, François, whose health appears increasingly fragile and who moves in a wheelchair due to knee pain, had presided over Easter mass under a bright sun before enjoying a long walkabout aboard his “Papmobile” in the aisles of Saint Peter’s Square, blessing the faithful in a warm atmosphere.
PHOTO ALESSANDRA TARANTINO, ASSOCIATED PRESS
The pope traveled around St. Peter’s Square aboard his “Popemobile”.
On Saturday evening, the 86-year-old Pope, hospitalized last week for bronchitis, presided over the Easter Vigil Mass for two and a half hours in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, in the presence of around 8,000 people.
Friday, he had canceled due to the cold his participation in the traditional “Stations of the Cross” organized at the Colosseum in Rome, but he had presided over the office of the Passion as planned.
Holy Week and Easter, which commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ, are the main highlight of the year in the Catholic calendar.