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At the end of his Easter Message, before imparting the Urbi et Orbi Blessing to the faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square and to those listening via radio and television, the Holy Father Leo XIV delivered the following Easter wish in various languages:

 

Wishes of the Holy Father

To all those listening, I extend my warmest wishes in a few words:

Italiano

Buona Pasqua! Portate a tutti la gioia di Gesù risorto e presente in mezzo a noi.

Francese

Joyeuses Pâques ! Portez à tout le monde la joie de Jésus ressuscité et présent parmi nous.

Inglese

Happy Easter! May you bring the joy of Jesus, who is risen and present in our midst, to all you meet.

Tedesco

Frohe Ostern! Bringt allen die Freude des auferstandenen Jesus, der unter uns gegenwärtig ist.

Spagnolo

¡Feliz Pascua! Lleven a todos la alegría de Jesús resucitado y presente entre nosotros.

Portoghese

Feliz Páscoa! Levai a todos a alegria do Senhor Ressuscitado e presente entre nós.

Polacco

Radosnych Świąt Wielkanocnych!

Arabo

قِيامَة مَجِيدَة!

Cinese

复活节快乐

Latino

Felix sit vobis Domini resurrectionis festivitas! Iesu resuscitati, inter nos adstantis, laetitiam cum omnibus communicate.

At midday, from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father Leo XIV delivered the following Easter Message and “Urbi et Orbi” Blessing to the faithful in Saint Peter’s Square and those listening via radio and television:

 

Message of the Holy Father

Brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter!

For centuries, the Church has joyfully sung of the event that is the origin and foundation of her faith: “Yes, Christ my hope is arisen / Christ indeed from death is risen / Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning” ( Easter Sequence ).

Easter is the victory of life over death, of light over darkness, of love over hatred. It is a victory that came at a very high price: Christ, the Son of the living God (cf.  Mt  16:16), had to die — and die on a cross — after suffering an unjust condemnation, being mocked and tortured, and shedding all his blood. As the true immolated Lamb, he took upon himself the sin of the world (cf.  Jn  1:29;  1 Pet  1:18–19) and thus freed us all — and with us, all creation — from the dominion of evil.

But  how  was Jesus able to be victorious? What is the strength with which he defeated once and for all the ancient adversary, the prince of this world (cf.  Jn  12:31)? What is the power with which he rose from the dead, not returning to his former life, but entering into eternal life and thus opening in his own flesh the passage from this world to the Father?

This strength, this power, is God himself for he is Love who creates and generates, Love who is faithful to the end and Love who forgives and redeems.

Christ, our “victorious King,” fought and won his battle through trusting abandonment to the Father’s will, to his plan of salvation (cf.  Mt  26:42). Thus he walked the path of dialogue to the very end, not in words but in deeds: to find us who were lost, he became flesh; to free us who were slaves, he became a slave; to give life to us mortals, he allowed himself to be killed on the cross.

The power with which Christ rose is entirely nonviolent. It is like that of a grain of wheat which, having rotted in the earth, grows, breaks through the clods, sprouts, and becomes a golden ear of wheat. It is even more like that of a human heart which, wounded by an offense, rejects the instinct for revenge and, filled with compassion, prays for the one who has committed the offense.

Brothers and sisters, this is the true strength that brings peace to humanity, because it fosters respectful relationships at every level: among individuals, families, social groups, and nations. It does not seek private interests, but the common good; it does not seek to impose its own plan, but to help design and carry out a plan together with others.

Yes, Christ’s resurrection is the beginning of a new humanity; it is the entrance into the true promised land, where justice, freedom, and peace reign, where all recognize one another as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father who is Love, Life, and Light.

Brothers and sisters, through his resurrection, the Lord confronts us even more powerfully with the dramatic reality of our freedom. Before the empty tomb, we can be filled with hope and wonder, like the disciples, or with fear like the guards and the Pharisees, forced to resort to lies and subterfuge rather than acknowledge that the one who had been condemned is truly risen (cf.  Mt  28:11–15)!

In the light of Easter, let us allow ourselves to be amazed by Christ! Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us! Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!

We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent. Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people. Indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow. Indifferent to the economic and social consequences they produce, which we all feel. There is an ever-increasing “globalization of indifference,” to borrow an expression dear to  Pope Francis , who one year ago from this loggia addressed his final words to the world, reminding us: “What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world!” ( Urbi et Orbi Message , 20 April 2025).

The cross of Christ always reminds us of the suffering and pain that surround death and the agony it entails. We are all afraid of death, and out of fear we turn away, preferring not to look. We cannot continue to be indifferent! And we cannot resign ourselves to evil! Saint Augustine teaches: “If you fear death, love the resurrection!” ( Sermon 124 , 4). Let us too love the resurrection, which reminds us that evil is not the last word, because it has been defeated by the Risen One.

He passed through death to give us life and peace: “I leave you peace; I give you my peace. Not as the world gives it, I give it to you” ( Jn  14:27). The peace that Jesus gives us is not merely the silence of weapons, but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us! Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the peace of Christ! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts! For this reason, I invite everyone to join me in a prayer vigil for peace that we will celebrate here in Saint Peter’s Basilica next Saturday, April 11.

On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars and marked by a hatred and indifference that make us feel powerless in the face of evil. To the Lord we entrust all hearts that suffer and await the true peace that only he can give. Let us entrust ourselves to him and open our hearts to him! He is the only one who makes all things new (cf.  Rev  21:5).

Happy Easter!

At 10.00 today, Sunday of Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, the Holy Father Francis presided over the solemn celebration of the Mass of the day on the parvis of Saint Peter’s Basilica. The celebration, which began with the Rite of the “Resurrexit”, was attended by Roman faithful and pilgrims from all over the world, in Rome on the occasion of the Easter holidays.

The following is the homily delivered by the Pope after the proclamation of the Holy Gospel:

 

Homily of the Holy Father

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today all of creation is resplendent with new light, a song of praise rises from the earth, and our hearts rejoice: Christ is risen from the dead, and with him, we too rise to new life!

This Easter proclamation embraces the mystery of our lives and the destiny of history, reaching us even in the depths of death, where we feel threatened and sometimes overwhelmed. It opens us up to a hope that never fails, to a light that never fades, to a fullness of joy that nothing can take away: death has been conquered forever; death no longer has power over us!

This is a message that is not always easy to accept, a promise that we struggle to embrace, because the power of death constantly threatens us, both from within and without.

From within, this power threatens us when the weight of our sins prevents us from “spreading our wings” and taking flight, or when the disappointments or loneliness we experience drain our hope. It likewise looms over us when our worries or our resentments suffocate the joy of living, when we are sad or tired, or when we feel betrayed or rejected. When we have to come to terms with our weakness, with the sufferings and the daily grind of life, we can feel as if we have ended up in a tunnel with no end in sight.

From without, death is always lurking. We see it present in injustices, in partisan selfishness, in the oppression of the poor, in the lack of attention given to the most vulnerable. We see it in violence, in the wounds of the world, in the cry of pain that rises from every corner because of the abuses that crush the weakest among us, because of the idolatry of profit that plunders the earth’s resources, because of the violence of war that kills and destroys.

In this reality, the Passover of the Lord invites us to lift our gaze and open our hearts. It continues to nourish the seed of the promised victory within our spirit and throughout the course of history. It sets us in motion, like Mary Magdalene and the Apostles, so that we may discover that Jesus’ tomb is empty, and therefore in every death we experience there is also room for new life to arise. The Lord is alive and remains with us. Through the cracks of resurrection that open up in the darkness, he entrusts our hearts to the hope that sustains us: the power of death is not the final destiny of our lives. We are all directed, once and for all, on the path to fulfilment, because in Christ we also have risen.

With heartfelt words,  Pope Francis  reminded us of this in his first Apostolic Exhortation,  Evangelii Gaudium , affirming that the resurrection of Christ “is not an event of the past; it contains a vital power which has permeated this world. Where all seems to be dead, signs of the resurrection suddenly spring up. It is an irresistible force. Often it seems that God does not exist: all around us we see persistent injustice, evil, indifference and cruelty. But it is also true that in the midst of darkness something new always springs to life and sooner or later produces fruit” ( n. 276 ).

Brothers and sisters, Easter gives us this hope, as we remember that in the risen Christ a new creation is possible every day. This is what today’s Gospel tells us, as it clearly describes the event of the resurrection as taking place on “the first day of the week” ( Jn  20:1). The day of Christ’s resurrection thus takes us back to that first day when God created the world, and at the same time proclaims that a new life, stronger than death, is now dawning for humanity.

Easter is the new creation brought about by the Risen Lord; it is a new beginning; it is life finally made eternal by God’s victory over the ancient enemy.

We need this song of hope today. It is ourselves, risen with Christ, who must bring him into the streets of the world. Let us then run like Mary Madgalene, announcing him to everyone, living out the joy of the resurrection, so that wherever the specter of death still lingers, the light of life may shine.

May Christ, our Passover, bless us and give his peace to the whole world!

At 17.00 today, Good Friday, in the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father Leo XIV presided over the celebration of the Passion of the Lord.

During the Liturgy of the Word, the account of the Passion according to John was read; the Preacher of the Papal Household, the Reverend Father Roberto Pasolini, O.F.M. Cap., then delivered the homily.

The Liturgy of the Passion continued with the universal Prayer and the adoration of the Holy Cross, and concluded with Holy Communion.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV spoke this morning by telephone with His Excellency Mr Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine.

During the cordial conversation, the Holy Father extended his best wishes for the Easter holidays and reaffirmed his closeness to the Ukrainian people.

They then discussed the humanitarian situation, emphasizing the urgency of ensuring that the necessary aid reaches the people suffering from the conflict. Reference was also made to efforts aimed at promoting humanitarian initiatives, especially regarding the release of prisoners.

Finally, hope was once again expressed that, with the commitment and cooperation of the international community, hostilities may cease as soon as possible and a just and lasting peace may be achieved.