Pope Francis: "May There Be a Resolution for Peace"

Easter Blessing at St. Peter's Basilica
"National Leaders Must Listen to the People's Appeals"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"On this terrible night of pain and death, may a new dawn of hope arise, and may there be a resolution for peace." Pope Francis called for an end to the war in Ukraine on the occasion of Easter, the greatest feast in Christianity.

On the 17th (local time), Pope Francis prayed for war-torn Ukraine from the central 'Balcony of Blessings' on the second floor of St. Peter's Basilica. He said, "Let us not become accustomed to war. From the balcony, from the streets, let us plead for peace with all our might." He then asked everyone to "hold all the victims in our hearts," referring to millions of refugees, displaced persons, separated families, and elderly people left alone.

In his Easter message read before the Urbi et Orbi blessing, Pope Francis also appealed for the establishment of peace. "We are witnessing with our own eyes this unbelievable 'Easter war.' We have seen too much blood and too much violence," he recalled, adding, "When our brothers and sisters sought safe shelters from the bombings, our hearts were also filled with fear and pain."

He mentioned not only Ukraine but also Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Myanmar, all engulfed in conflict or political and economic crises, expressing hope for peace and stability. Introducing part of the appeal issued in 1955 by British philosopher Bertrand Russell and American physicist Albert Einstein warning of the dangers of nuclear war, he urged, "National leaders, please listen to the people's plea for peace."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

About 100,000 believers and pilgrims watched the blessing that day. It was the first time since the spread of COVID-19 that the Pope appeared on the Balcony of Blessings on Easter. For the past two years, the event was held simply inside St. Peter's Basilica with only a minimal number of attendees allowed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.