Pope condemns 'stumbling blocks' to peace in his Easter Urbi et Orbi

Around 100,000 people had gathered in St. Peter's Square to see and listen to Francis. Who offered himself, despite fragile health, a walkabout in a warm atmosphere

Ukraine, the Middle East, international terrorism: Pope Francis on Sunday condemned the many "stumbling blocks" to peace in the world during his traditional Urbi et Orbi message for the feast of Easter.

In front of some 100,000 faithful massed in St. 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.

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 "put an end to this war and to all the conflicts that bloody the world".

Walkabout

Citing twenty countries, the spiritual leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics spoke in particular of "Lebanon which is still in search of stability and unity", Tunisia and its "social and economic problems", the "serious crisis sociopolitical 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 one hundred billion euros.

A few minutes earlier, François, whose health seems increasingly fragile and who uses a wheelchair due to knee pain, had presided over Easter mass under a bright sun, before taking a long bath in crowd aboard his "Papamobile" in the aisles of Saint Peter's Square, blessing the faithful in a warm atmosphere.

No Stations of the Cross on Friday

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. 

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