Pope Francis called for freedom of thought and tolerance in his Easter Sunday address, as the weakened pontiff delighted the crowds of Catholic faithful by making a much-anticipated holiday appearance, even circling St. Peter's Square in his popemobile.
"Happy Easter," said the 88-year-old Argentine pope in a faint voice from his wheelchair on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, to the great joy of the crowd below, in the flower-filled square.
The pope's recovery from pneumonia had kept him away from most Holy Week events, but Francis made a major effort on Sunday, waving at the crowd and blessing babies from his popemobile for nearly 15 minutes, despite appearing frail.
After delivering his Easter greetings to the crowd—estimated at more than 35,000 people—from the basilica's balcony, Francis delegated the reading of his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" ("To the City and the World") blessing to an associate.
"There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and respect for the views of others," his speech read. It also condemned "worrisome" anti-Semitism and the "dramatic and deplorable" situation in Gaza.
With his health still fragile following five weeks in the hospital for pneumonia in both lungs, it was uncertain whether the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics would be present or, if so, in what capacity.
Among the believers present on Sunday was fellow Argentine Maria Repezza, 58, who was holding back tears.
"I'm moved by the strength he shows, because he is sick and very old. He is an Argentine like us, he's ours. We feel blessed," she told AFP.
'Not targets, but people'
Just before the pope's appearance at St. Peter's, he held a brief private meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who was visiting Rome with his family.
Vance did not stay for the Easter mass and, after just 15 minutes, left the Vatican with his wife and children to attend mass at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four papal basilicas in Rome.
Video footage showed Francis in his wheelchair shaking hands with the vice president and his wife, with the Vatican later stating in a brief statement that the meeting "provided an opportunity to exchange greetings on Easter Sunday."
Their encounter came months after a spat between Francis and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump over its anti-migrant policies.
The pope's Easter message was one of tolerance and respect for diversity—themes he has emphasized throughout his 12-year papacy. These themes are especially relevant given the numerous conflicts around the world, most of which he mentioned in his address, including those in Sudan, Yemen, and Ukraine.
"On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and revive our trust in others, including those who are different from ourselves or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life, and ideas!" the speech read.
He appealed to world leaders "not to yield to the logic of fear, which only leads to isolation from others."
Citing "defenseless civilians" and attacks on "schools, hospitals, and humanitarian workers," the pope said, "we cannot allow ourselves to forget that it is not targets that are struck, but persons, each possessing a soul and human dignity."
While noting a "growing climate of anti-Semitism" around the world as "worrying," the pope expressed his thoughts with the people of Gaza and repeated his calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
"The terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction, creating a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation," he wrote.
Improving, but still weak
Francis was released from the hospital on March 23, after five weeks of treatment for pneumonia, from which he nearly died.
Despite improvements in his breathing, his voice remains weak, although in recent appearances, including on Sunday, he did not wear the nasal cannula through which he had been receiving oxygen.
For the first time since becoming pope in 2013, Francis missed most of the Holy Week events, such as Friday's Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum and Saturday's Easter vigil at St. Peter's Basilica, where he delegated his duties to cardinals.
However, he made a brief appearance inside the basilica on Saturday, where he prayed and handed out candies to children.
Some 300 cardinals, bishops, and priests attended Sunday's Easter mass, while the crowd was larger than usual, organizers said, due to the Jubilee, a holy year designated by the pope that attracts thousands of pilgrims to the Eternal City.
In his one official engagement this week, Francis visited inmates at a Rome jail, and later told a journalist he was getting through the Easter week "as best as I can."
This year's Easter is unusual because it falls on the same weekend for both the Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity, which follow the Gregorian calendar, and the Orthodox branch, which uses the Julian calendar.
With AFP
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