From Vatican News:
Pope Francis has dedicated much of his pontificate to appealing for peace. This year on Easter Sunday, as he delivered his message and blessing Urbi et Orbi– to the city and to the world – was no exception.
From the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica, the Pope, who continues his recovery from bilateral pneumonia, greeted the crowds gathered in a tulip-filled St Peter’s Square. He then passed on his text to be read by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, and the Pope’s words rang out proclaiming: “Christ is risen.”
“Christ, my hope, has risen,” Pope Francis announced, calling on the faithful to turn their gaze to the empty tomb. He spoke of the resurrection not as an abstract idea but as a living force — one that challenges, heals, and empowers.
“Today too,” he said, “he takes upon himself all the evil that oppresses us and transfigures it…”
… “The light of Easter impels us to break down the barriers that divide us,” Pope Francis said. These barriers are not only physical, but political, economic, and spiritual. He called on nations to use their resources not for rearmament, but to combat hunger, invest in development, and “care for one another.”
The Pope appealed to all those who hold positions of political responsibility in our world not to yield to the logic of fear but to use our resources to help those in need, “to fight hunger and encourage initiatives that promote development.” “These,” the Pope said, “are the ‘weapons’ of peace: weapons that build the future, instead of sowing seeds of death!”
He met Vice President JD Vance at his residence late in the morning:
On Easter Sunday morning, shortly after 11:30 am at the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis had a brief private meeting with the Vice President of the United States of America, JD (James David) Vance. The Holy See Press Office gave news of the meeting and noted it lasted a few minutes and offered an opportunity to exchange Easter greetings.
