© REUTERS / REMO CASILLI
Tens of thousands of believers at the Easter service in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
In front of tens of thousands of people on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis gave the blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (“of the city and the world”) in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. According to the Vatican, around 100,000 believers followed the ceremony on St. Peter’s Square. On this occasion, the Holy Father once once more made an urgent appeal for peace in Ukraine.
“Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their way to peace and shine your Easter light on the Russian people. Comfort the wounded and those who lost loved ones in the war and let the prisoners return safely to their families. Open the hearts of the entire international community to work to end this war and all conflicts,” the Pope said.
Before the faithful, the Pope also expressed concern regarding the situation in Syria. He commemorated the victims of the severe earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and condemned the violence in the Middle East in recent days. These attacks threatened the “climate of trust and mutual respect that is needed for the dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians to resume, so that peace reigns in the Holy City and throughout the region,” the pope said. He also asked for prayers for Lebanon, which is still searching for stability and unity.
Francis also addressed the issue of migration. He hopes that Tunisia and all those suffering from social and economic problems will not lose hope and work together to build a future in peace.
The pontiff urged peace and reconciliation for Haiti, Ethiopia, Nicaragua and Eritrea. He commemorated all those Christians who are prevented from freely and publicly professing their faith. He expressed his closeness to the victims of international terrorism, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique and Nigeria.
The pope also expressed concern regarding the situation in Myanmar and called for prayers for justice for the tormented Rohingya population. He also asked for comfort for refugees, deportees, political prisoners and migrants, and all suffering from hunger, poverty and “the ill effects of drug and human trafficking and all forms of slavery”.
At the side of the pope, who said the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, was 94-year-old Ernest Simoni, who was made a cardinal by Francis following he met him on his trip to Albania met in 2014. As a Catholic cleric, Simoni was persecuted by the communist regime of Enver Hoxha.
Pope Francis opened the traditional celebration of the Easter Vigil together with 8,000 thousands of believers on Saturday evening. Following a tradition, he baptized eight adults who came from Albania, the USA, Venezuela and Nigeria, among others.
The Way of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome on Good Friday, on the other hand, took place without Pope Francis, who had just been released from the hospital last week following being treated for bronchitis. Due to the low temperatures, the head of the Catholic Church watched the evening procession from the Santa Marta guest house, where he is staying. He joined the prayer of those gathered with the Diocese of Rome at the Colosseum, the Vatican said.
The strictest security measures are in force in Rome around the Easter celebrations. Anti-terror units and special police forces monitor the area around the Vatican. The area around St. Peter’s Square was cordoned off and equipped with metal detectors. Pilgrims were able to follow the ceremony with the Pope on screens from St. Peter’s Square.
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