The Easter Vigil was celebrated with an atmospheric celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the end of the sermon, Pope Francis provided an emotional climax when he addressed Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of the southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, who was a guest in St. Peter’s Basilica. “We all pray with you and for you,” said Francis, “in this darkness in which you live, the darkness of war, of cruelty”. He encouraged the Ukrainians.
Fedorov was kidnapped by Russian troops and only released in the course of a prisoner exchange. He was a guest at the Vatican together with parliamentarians. Francis ended his homily with the phrase “Christ is risen” in Ukrainian.
For the first time in the pontificate, the 85-year-old Francis refrained from leading the most important service of the church year himself; this was taken over by Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re. Francis, who has already had many events this Holy Week and is also plagued by knee pain, followed the Mass sitting for the most part.
resurrection of Christ
The resurrection of Jesus Christ after his death on the cross is celebrated on the Holy Night before Easter Sunday. The ceremony traditionally began with the procession into the dark cathedral behind the Easter candle, where the candles of the priests and believers in St. Peter’s Basilica are lit to the call “Lumen Christi” (Light of Christ).
On Sunday morning at 10 a.m. the Easter service begins on St. Peter’s Square in front of tens of thousands of believers. At noon, Pope Francis will proclaim his Easter message and give the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing for the city and the world.