Catholics Around the World Celebrate Easter Sunday Amid Calls for Peace and Reflection Catholics across the globe marked Easter Sunday as the most significant feast in the Christian calendar, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV presided over the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, a central liturgical event attended by thousands of faithful. The ceremony, rooted in ancient traditions, began in darkness and culminated in the lighting of the Paschal candle, symbolizing the transition from death to life. During the vigil, several adult converts were baptized, underscoring the Church’s ongoing growth and global outreach. The Pope’s Easter message emphasized the urgent need to combat indifference toward war, injustice, and human suffering. He warned that fear, mistrust, and hatred continue to erode relationships between nations and individuals, urging instead a commitment to reconciliation and peace. His remarks echoed themes of compassion and solidarity, which he had repeatedly stressed during Holy Week. The Pope highlighted the importance of hope and renewal in a world grappling with instability, framing Easter as a celebration of victory over death and the promise of new life. In Jerusalem, one of Christianity’s holiest cities, Easter celebrations unfolded under strict restrictions due to the ongoing regional conflict. Authorities permitted services at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, but access to the site remained limited. Earlier in Holy Week, tensions escalated when church leaders were briefly barred from entering the site, an incident described as unprecedented in modern times.#vatican #pope_Leo_XIV #st_peters_basilica #church_of_the_holy_sepulchre #easter_vigil
Pope Leo XIV Calls for a Church Free from Domination During First Holy Thursday The Pope began his first Holy Week as pontiff with the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday at St. Peter’s Basilica, a ceremony where he urged the Christian mission to distance itself from "prepotence" and "domination logics." During his homily, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that true well-being cannot stem from dominance, whether in pastoral, social, or political realms. "The great missionaries are witnesses to careful approaches, whose method consists in sharing life, selfless service, renouncing any calculating strategies, dialogue, and respect," he said to thousands of faithful and Roman clergy. The Chrism Mass, celebrated in all cathedrals worldwide and marking the start of the Triduum Pascal (central period of Holy Week), commemorates the institution of the sacrament of holy orders during the Last Supper. It is dedicated to the renewal of priests’ vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The Pope lamented that throughout history, the evangelizing mission has often been "distorted by domination logics entirely foreign to Christ’s path." He highlighted that the Church’s mission begins with "reconciliation with our origins" and "making peace with the past without being trapped by it." "Love is true if it is unarmed, needs few things, no ostentation, and gently guards weakness and vulnerability," he stated. Leo XIV urged religious figures to recognize that there is no good news for the poor if they arrive "with signs of power" and that genuine liberation requires freeing oneself from possession. "To welcome, we must learn to let ourselves be welcomed," he said, noting that even in secularized areas, these spaces are not for conquest or reconquest. The Pope cited Salvadoran martyr Oscar Arnulfo Romero and U.S.#pope_Leo_XIV #st_peters_basilica #chrism_mass #oscar_arnulfo_romero #joseph_bernardin
