Tens of thousands of faithful are expected on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican for Easter Mass presided over by Pope Francis, who will then pronounce his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing.
On Saturday evening, the 86-year-old Argentine pope, hospitalized last week, presided over the Easter Vigil Mass for two and a half hours in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, in the presence of around 8,000 people.
Faced with “the power of evil, (…) the logic of calculation and indifference which seem to govern society, the cancer of corruption, the spread of injustice, the icy winds of war”, he invited to “rediscover the memory that regenerates hope”.
The leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics then baptized one by one eight adults – men and women – from Albania, the United States, Nigeria, Italy and Venezuela.
On Sunday, Jorge Bergoglio will preside over Mass at 10:00 a.m. (08:00 GMT) then at 12:00 p.m. (10:00 GMT) he will pronounce his blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (“to the city and to the world”) where he traditionally gives an overview of the conflicts that agitate the planet.
As in 2022, its message should be marked by the war in Ukraine, but also the renewed tensions in the Middle East or the recent deadly shipwrecks of migrants in the Mediterranean.
François, whose health appears increasingly fragile and who travels in a wheelchair due to knee pain, should also enjoy a walkabout aboard his “Papamobile” in the aisles of Place Saint-Pierre .
Friday, he had canceled due to the cold his participation in the traditional “Stations of the Cross” organized at the Colosseum in Rome, but he had presided over the office of the Passion as planned.
Holy Week and Easter, which commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ, are the main highlight of the year in the Catholic calendar.
09/04/2023 08:33:37 – Vatican City (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
