Pope Francis made a brief appearance at St. Peter’s Square to bless the crowd and wish them ‘Happy Easter,’ despite sitting out the traditional Easter Mass as he recovers from double pneumonia.
The 88-year-old Pope Francis made a brief appearance at St. Peter’s Square to mark Easter Sunday, although the Mass was delivered by a high-ranking cardinal as Francis recovers from double pneumonia.
Pope Francis made a brief appearance at St. Peter’s Square to bless the crowd and wish them ‘Happy Easter,’ which drew loud cheers and applause.
The Pope’s Traditional Easter Message
Francis described a ‘growing climate of antisemitism around the world’ and also condemned the situation in Gaza and reiterated his call for a ceasefire.
‘I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation,’ read the pope’s traditional Easter address.
Located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Gaza is a coastal region bordered by Egypt and Israel.
With a population of over 2 million people, Gaza has been embroiled in conflict for decades, resulting in significant humanitarian challenges.
The region has been under Israeli blockade since 2007, restricting access to basic necessities like 'food, water, and healthcare.'
According to the United Nations, over 50% of Gazans rely on international aid to survive.
The region's economy is also severely impacted, with high levels of unemployment and poverty.
The pope also called for freedom of religion and respect for the views of others, saying peace was not possible without them.
‘There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others,’ the address read.
Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right, enshrined in many international treaties and national laws.
It guarantees individuals the freedom to hold any faith or no faith at all without fear of persecution or discrimination.
According to a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center, over 85% of countries have some form of freedom of religion law.
However, many countries still face challenges in protecting this right, with 2.3 billion people living in areas where religious freedom is severely restricted.
The Pope’s Health
Francis left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital four weeks ago after spending more than a month in the hospital. However, doctors say he still needs more time to recover following his life-threatening illness.
The pope has made few public appearances since leaving hospital, including Friday’s Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum and Saturday’s Easter vigil at Saint Peter’s Basilica, where he delegated his duties to cardinals.
A Million Pilgrims in Rome
This year, the Easter festival holds even more significance because the Catholic Church has declared 2025 a Jubilee or holy year. During such a year, pilgrims are encouraged to travel to Rome, and travel through the doors of the four major basilicas — St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. Mary Major.
A jubilee in the Catholic Church is a special year of forgiveness and remission, declared by the Pope to promote spiritual renewal.
The concept dates back to ancient Israelite tradition, where every 50th year was a time for debt forgiveness and land redistribution.
In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII introduced the Catholic Jubilee, which was later reinstated in 1459.
Since then, jubilees have been held at irregular intervals, often coinciding with significant anniversaries or milestones.
The most recent jubilee was declared by Pope Francis in 2020 to commemorate the '150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as patron of the universal Church.'
This weekend alone, an estimated 1 million visitors are in the city, including believers from all over the world. Among them is US Vice President JD Vance, who converted to the Catholic faith in 2019 and plans to attend Easter Mass with his family.
