rome —
In his first Easter homily since becoming head of the Catholic Church last year, Pope Leo XIV focused on preserving hope amid the violence of war, climate change and other suffering.
Speaking during Mass in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo said the Easter message responds to “the cries of pain that rise from every corner because of the abuses that crush the weakest among us, the idolatry of profit that plunders the earth’s resources, the violence of war that kills and destroys.”
“Often it seems that God does not exist. All around us we see constant injustice, evil, indifference and cruelty. But it is also true that in the midst of darkness something new always sprouts and sooner or later bears fruit,” the Pope said. “Easter gives us this hope, as we remember that new creation is possible every day through the Risen Christ.”
Pope Leo XIV’s first Holy Week and Easter celebrations take place against the backdrop of war, with US President Donald Trump expressing hope that he can find a “way out” to end the Middle East conflict.
On Good Friday, the first American-born pope carried a cross during the Stations of the Cross service at Rome’s Colosseum, where worshipers heard prayers for deported immigrant children and warned world leaders that their actions would be judged.
Last week, during Palm Sunday at the beginning of Holy Week, Pope Leo said: “Jesus is the King of peace who rejects war, and no one can use him to justify war…He does not listen to and rejects the prayers of those who make war.”
This Sunday, thousands of people gathered in sunny St. Peter’s Square for Easter Mass. As per tradition, it was decorated with flowers and bulbs for the celebration.
Later that day, Pope Leo is expected to reiterate his call for peace in an Easter message from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he is also expected to offer blessings in various languages.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
