Pope Francis, who pronounced his solemn urbi et orbi blessing on Sunday, April 9, in St. Peter’s Square, Rome, condemned the many “stumbling blocks” to peace in the world. The head of the Catholic Church notably called on Russia to seek the truth about the invasion of Ukraine and called for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.
This speech was particularly watched when the pope, whose health appears increasingly fragile, and who moves in a wheelchair due to knee pain, was hospitalized in early April for three days for a respiratory infection.
“Help the Ukrainian people”
As in 2022, his message gave a special place to the war in Ukraine. In front of a crowd estimated at 100,000 people, the pontiff spoke in his Easter homily “of the darkness and gloom in which, too often, our world finds itself shrouded” and prayed to God for peace. “Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey to peace and spread the light of Easter to the Russian people,” he said.
The pontiff asked God to “comfort the wounded and all who have lost loved ones in war, and to ensure that prisoners can return safely to their families”.
‘Deep concern’ over violence in Israel
The head of the Catholic Church also called for peace in the Middle East, a message made even more urgent by recent violence in Jerusalem and cross-border firefights between Israel, Lebanon and Syria:
“On this day, Lord, we entrust to you the city of Jerusalem, the first witness of your resurrection. I express my deep concern at the attacks of recent days, which threaten the climate of trust and mutual respect hoped for, necessary for the resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace can reign in the Holy City and throughout the region. »
Israeli-Palestinian tensions have escalated sharply since the Israeli police’s violent intervention this week in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which sparked outrage across the Arab world. Aboard the popemobile, Francis then waved to the crowds around St. Peter’s Square and on the main boulevard leading to the Tiber.
Citing twenty countries, the leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics also spoke of “Lebanon, which is still in search of stability and unity”, Tunisia and its “social and economic problems”, the “serious crisis sociopolitical and humanitarian” in Haiti and the “victims of international terrorism” in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique and Nigeria.
He also had a thought for the victims of the earthquake that occurred in February in Turkey and Syria, which killed more than 56,000 people and damage estimated at more than 100 billion euros.