Underneath a bruised Italian sky flecked with scattered clouds, Pope Francis stood resilient before an antiquated crowd of 60,000 devotees on Easter Sunday. Despite nursing the remnants of seasonal respiratory issues, the Pope led the faithful in a celestial song of hope, redemption, and determination, as the cold winds of the Italian winter slipped into the warmth of spring.
With the hallowed halls of St. Peter’s Square draped in a beautiful tapestry of fresh blooms, Pope Francis chose this holy occasion to anchor his annual meditation on globally pressing issues. The striped faces of Gaza’s inhabitants, along with a meager Christian community, have been a recurrent motif in Francis’s prayers, lending a somber tone to Easter’s celebrations in the Holy Land this year due to the ongoing conflict.
“Peace,” the Pope implored from the loggia that offered a bird’s-eye view of the square, “is forged not with weapons, but with hands outstretched in an offer of friendship, and hearts flung wide open.” The wind tousled the heads of the devoted gathered below, their collective applause a wave of approval rippling through the frosty air.
Regardless of doubts cast over his involvement, likely due to the toll fine Italian winters had taken on the pontiff’s physical condition, Francis took center stage. Despite his lung condition, his determination to preside over the Easter Vigil only added to his already remarkable vigor. His decision to forego the time-honored Good Friday procession as a precaution was supplemented by his active involvement in the Easter service, confirming the octogenarian patriarch’s unwavering spirit.
His health visibly rejuvenated, the Pope circumnavigated the sea of eager faces from his popemobile, his own eyes twinkling with a deep-seated joy derived from serving the faithful. The Vatican estimated the gathering to be a grand assortment of around 60,000 souls, not to mention the additional wave of onlookers lining the Via della Conciliazione leading up to the square.
The Pope, throughout his discourse, stressed on peace restoration in Ukraine and Gaza, embodying a father’s concern for the world’s children who he says “now remember how to smile only in their dreams.”
Firmly advocating for respect for international law, he expressed his sincere hope for “a collective exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for the sake of all!” He didn’t shy away from urging for the immediate liberation of prisoners from Israel as well as advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza and the allowance of humanitarian access to the Palestinians.
In clear and solemn tones, he warned against allowing the present hostilities to wreak further havoc on an already suffering civilian population. His heartfelt plea for an end to their suffering especially underscored the urgency of the situation for children. His message also extended to the sufferings of Haitians, the Rohingya, and victims of human trafficking. His pneumonia had necessitated shorter speeches in recent weeks, but that Easter Sunday, Francis seemed to touch every corner of the globe with his words and prayers.
Easter in Jerusalem, straight out of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel, seemed subdued and tragically ‘real.’ At the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, only a handful of worshippers materialized for the Easter Mass as the Israel- Hamas war refused to calm. With tourism and pilgrimages severely impacted by the ongoing conflict, the charm of the medieval city and holy site where Jesus was believed to have risen now had a haunted echo. For those few in Gaza recognizing Easter at the Holy Family Church, their heartfelt prayers possibly the only light in what seemed to be relentless darkness.
Across continents and amidst the chaos, Iraq’s Nineveh Plains struck a defiant tone of perseverance. In a region that bore witness to the brutal persecution of its inhabitants by the Islamic State group a decade prior, hundreds of Christians came forth to celebrate the day of resurrection. It was in this region that Christianity has had a presence since around the time of Jesus. Once home to nearly 1.5 million believers, their numbers have now dwindled to a few hundred thousand at most. But their spirit remains unbroken, their conviction in their belief stronger than ever. They stand sentinel over their land, keeping alive their faith and hope for better days with each sunrise.
