Pope Francis delivered his traditional Urbi et Orbi Easter blessing from the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, speaking briefly as he continues to recover from a serious bout of double pneumonia.
Despite his fragile health, the 88-year-old pontiff thrilled the estimated one million faithful gathered in Rome for Easter celebrations, appearing in his Popemobile to greet the crowd. He waved gently and paused to bless a baby handed up to him by security guards, bringing joy to those who had hoped to glimpse him on the holiest day of the Catholic calendar.
The Pope returned to the Vatican four weeks ago after spending over a month in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital battling what doctors described as a life-threatening illness. He remains physically weakened and has been under medical orders to rest and limit public engagements. Nonetheless, the Holy Father has slowly resumed appearances, including a recent visit to prisoners at Rome’s Regina Coeli prison and a brief attendance at Palm Sunday Mass.
During Sunday’s address, Pope Francis spoke a weak, breathless “Happy Easter” before handing over the reading of his full message to Archbishop Diego Ravelli. At the conclusion, he blessed the crowd but was still unable to raise his arms fully, a visible sign of his ongoing recovery.
This year’s Easter Mass was celebrated on the Pope’s behalf by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter’s Square. The Vatican marked the event as part of a special Jubilee Year, drawing pilgrims from across the globe.
Earlier in the day, the Pope met privately with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism, at his residence in the Vatican. The Vatican described the encounter as “a brief private meeting” to exchange Easter greetings. During their conversation, the Pope reportedly emphasized the universal relevance of the Good Samaritan parable, reaffirming that Christian charity extends to all, including strangers.
The Pope and Vice President Vance have previously clashed on the issue of immigration, particularly regarding the deportation of undocumented migrants. The pontiff has rejected the notion that religious charity should prioritize national or familial ties over compassion for the marginalized.
In his Easter message, the Pope condemned global indifference toward migrants and the marginalized, and expressed grave concern over the rise of antisemitism. He called for peace in conflict-ravaged areas, with particular emphasis on the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation,” the message stated.
Echoing sentiments shared by Vance on freedom of expression, the Pope added: “There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others.”
