Pope Francis, along with thousands of believers and pilgrims, took part in the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Saturday night. For the first time, the Pope, plagued by knee and hip pain, was unable to conduct the Easter Vigil himself. Instead, he attended the service from a seat in front of the pews of the faithful. Its chief celebrant was Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals. Pope Francis read the sermon.
About 5,500 people took part in the atmospheric ceremony. The rite began in the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica with the blessing of the fire and the lighting of the Paschal candle. Entering the still dark cathedral, the candles of the priests and then those of all the faithful were lit with the Latin call sign “Lumen Christi” (Light of Christ). The Pope then entered the church in a long procession of cardinals and bishops. The candles symbolize the resurrection of Jesus, which is celebrated by Christians worldwide. Then followed the liturgy of the Word and the baptismal liturgy.
Called for “peace gestures”.
In his homily, the Pope called for Jesus Christ “to be brought into everyday life: with gestures of peace in this time marked by the horrors of war; with works of reconciliation in broken relationships and compassion for those in need; with deeds of justice in the midst of inequalities and truth in the midst of lies. And especially with works of charity and brotherhood.” The Pope called on people to be open to hope, because pain will not have the last word.
“We all pray with you in the darkness of war”
At the end of his homily, the Pope addressed the mayor of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, who attended St. Peter’s Basilica with three deputies after being received on Saturday by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
“In this darkness that you are experiencing, Mr Mayor, ladies and gentlemen of Parliament, the darkness of war and cruelty, we all pray with you tonight, we pray for so much suffering. We alone can give you our guidance, our prayer and our give you encouragement, and we guide you.We can also tell you the greatest thing we celebrate today: “Christ is risen,” the Pope said, speaking these last words in Ukrainian.
Stations of the cross possible again after two years of pandemic
On Friday evening, Francis prayed the traditional Way of the Cross in the Colosseum with tens of thousands. The Stations of the Cross took place again after two years, having been suspended during the pandemic.
Blessing “Urbi et Orbi” on Easter Sunday
Pope Francis will celebrate Easter Mass on Sunday – after a break forced by Corona, this time again for believers in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. After this, the head of the 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide announces his traditional Easter message and bestows the blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the city and the world”). This year’s Easter celebrations at the Vatican and around the world were overshadowed by the war in Ukraine.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
