Pope Francis called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages.
The Pope led the Mass in flower-decorated St. Peter’s Square and then delivered his “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) blessing and message from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Francis, 87, has been in poor health and has repeatedly been forced to limit public speaking and cancel engagements, as he did on Good Friday, skipping a procession at Rome’s Colosseum at short notice.
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However, he attended other Holy Week events leading up to Easter and appeared in relatively good spirits on Sunday. Easter is celebrated on the day when believers believe that Jesus rose from the dead.
After the Mass, Francis took to his open-top Pope Mobile to greet the crowds in the square and avenue that connects St. Peter’s to the Tiber River. The Vatican said about 60,000 people attended the ceremony.
‘Why this death?’
Pope Francis has repeatedly condemned the death and destruction in the Gaza war and renewed his call for a ceasefire on Sunday.
“I call once again to ensure the access of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the immediate release of the hostages taken last October 7 and an immediate cease-fire in the Strip,” he said in his Urbi et Orbi speech.
“How much suffering we see in the eyes of children. In those war zones, children have forgotten to smile. With their eyes, children ask us: Why? Why this death? Why this destruction? War is always a nonsense.”, he added.
The Pope’s Easter message traditionally focuses on world affairs. He also mentioned other issues including Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan, Sahel, Horn of Africa, Congo and Mozambique.
The pope has called for an all-prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine after last year asking Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi to mediate the return of Ukrainian children from Russia and Russian-occupied territories.
He condemned human trafficking, prayed for a “road of hope” for those suffering from violence, hunger and the effects of climate change, and offered comfort to victims of terrorism everywhere.
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2024-03-31 13:46:53
