Pope makes Easter appearance, deplores rising world antisemitism and deaths in Gaza
Emerging from convalescence, pontiff, who missed most Holy Week events, sits in wheelchair on balcony of St. Peters Basilica as traditional Urbi et Orbi is instead read by archbishop
VACTICAN CITY, Holy See — Pope Francis appeared in front of thousands of Catholic faithful at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday for Easter, despite the 88-year-old pontiff’s frail health that has kept him from most Holy Week events.
“Happy Easter,” said the Argentine pontiff in a weak voice from his wheelchair at the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, to the delight of tens of thousands of faithful and others in the flower-filled square.
The pope traditionally delivers his “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and the World”) benediction from the balcony that overlooks St. Peter’s Square, but he gave that task to an archbishop on Sunday.
He said a “growing climate of antisemitism around the world is worrisome,” while also condemning the war in Gaza and reiterating his call for a ceasefire.
“I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation,” read the pope’s traditional Easter address, as Francis sat in the wheelchair at the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.
Given his delicate health following treatment for pneumonia, it had not been certain whether the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics would be present, or if so, in what capacity.
In the end, the pope made his appearance.
Just beforehand, he had a brief private meeting with US Vice President JD Vance, who was visiting Rome with his family.
“The meeting, which lasted a few minutes, gave the opportunity to exchange greetings on Easter Sunday,” wrote the Vatican in a brief statement, saying the encounter took place at the pope’s residence shortly before 11:30 local time (930 GMT).
Their meeting came months after a spat between Francis and the administration of US President Donald Trump over its anti-migrant policies.
The pope, as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, is usually careful about taking sides in conflicts, but he has recently been more outspoken about Israel’s military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
Israel accused Pope Francis of “double standards” in December after he condemned Israeli airstrikes in Gaza at the top of his annual Christmas address to the Vatican’s Catholic cardinals.
In November, a seasonal nativity scene at the Vatican was removed after backlash over its depiction of the baby Jesus lying on a keffiyeh, the traditional scarf used by Palestinians as a national symbol.
The nativity scene drew criticism as it was suggestive of the trope that Jesus was a Palestinian rather than Jewish.
The war in Gaza was sparked by the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion and massacre in southern Israel, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 were seized as hostages as over 5,000 terrorists rampaged through Israel’s Gaza border communities.
The pope has met frequently with family members of those taken hostage and has repeatedly called for their release.
The Times of Israel Community.