Pope Francis delivered his Easter Monday address to the faithful at Saint Peter’s Square, requesting personal prayers as he continues to struggle with respiratory problems. “Please do not forget to pray for me… Have a good lunch and until next time,” Pope Francis said.
Despite initial uncertainty due to his health, the Pope celebrated the two-hour Easter Vigil the night before. The Pontiff, 87, struggled with acute, infectious bronchitis throughout the winter. Besides personal requests for prayers, the Pontiff reiterated his call for global peace.
“Peace is never made with weapons, but with outstretched hands and open hearts,” the Pope said. He added: “Let us not allow the current hostilities to continue to have grave repercussions on the civil population, by now at the limit of its endurance, and above all on the children.” Drawing attention to the war-torn regions of the Middle East and Eastern Europe, he renewed his calls for a Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange and a ceasefire in Gaza. The Pontiff also called for the immediate return of the hostages violently taken from Israel by Hamas during the Islamic terror group’s barbaric October 7 attack.
According to the Vatican, 60,000 people attended the Easter Mass this past Sunday. Following the Mass, Pope Francis greeted the faithful outside St. Peter’s, taking several laps around the piazza in his popemobile.
