Pope Francis made a brief appearance on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in Saint-Pierre square while he continues his recovery from a Almost deadly input of double pneumonia.
“Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” Said Francis, his voice sounding stronger than she has done since his hospitalization. “Viva Il Dad!” (Long live the pope), replied the crowd.
Francis completed through the place in his Open Summit Popemobile, then from top to bottom of the main avenue which led there. He stopped occasionally to bless the babies who were raised to him, a scene that was common in the past but unthinkable just a few weeks ago while Francis, 88, fought for his life.
Since his release from the hospital almost a month ago, Francis returned slowly to work and has made several appearances on Sunday in Saint-Pierre, the relief and the worship of the crowd that gathers every weekend. He jumped the solemn services of the Good Friday and Holy Saturday leading to Easter, but he was to appear on Sunday.
Tiziana Fabi / AFP via Getty Images
Unlike the past years, the 88-year-old pontiff did not celebrate Piazza Easter Mass, delegating him to Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the most retired archite of the Saint-Pierre basilica.
But after the end of the mass, Francis appeared on the Loggia balcony on the entrance to the basilica for more than 20 minutes. The thousands of people below broke out in the acclamations while a military group launched rounds of Saint-Siège and Italian hymns.
Francis praised the balcony and then asked an archbishop of the Vatican to read his speech, a global appeal for peace in the hot spots of the world which is the brand of the Vatican Easter celebrations. Subsequently, he conferred the apostolic blessing in Latin.
On the way to the basilica, briefly Francis met the American vice-president JD VanceWho spent Easter in Rome with his family.
Easter is the happiest moment in the liturgical Christian calendar, when the faithful celebrate the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion. This year, Easter is celebrated the same day by Catholics and Orthodox Christians.
Andreas Solaro / AFP via Getty Images
Easter in the Vatican traditionally involves a mass and the Urbi and Orbi blessing of the Pope (Latin for “in the city and the world”), a pronounced papal discourse of loggia, which is generally an overview of hot spots and human sufferings.
In the speech, read by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of liturgical ceremonies, Francis called for peace Gaza And Ukraineas well as the Congo, Myanmar and in other hotspots.
“That Christ resuscitates from Ukraine, devastated by the war, his Easter gift of peace, and encourages all the parties involved in pursuing efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace,” said the message. “During this year of the jubilee, May Easter is also an appropriate opportunity for the release of prisoners of war and political prisoners!”