Pope Leo XIV asks believers not to let themselves be paralyzed by war

Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful not to allow themselves to be paralyzed by the burdens of war, injustice and isolation between peoples and nations. The speech took place this Saturday (4) during his homily at the Easter Vigil, during Holy Week.

During the ceremony, held in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pontiff recalled that the so-called “mother of all vigils” revives “the memory of the victory of the Lord of life over death and hell”.

“This holy night is also rooted in the place where humanity’s first failure was consummated and extends through the centuries as a path of reconciliation and grace,” said Pope Leo XIV.

When remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he mentioned that “man can kill the body, but the life of the God of love is eternal life; it transcends death and no tomb can imprison it”.

Pope Leo XIV presided over the Vigil of Holy Saturday for the first time

This was the first time in his pontificate that Pope Leo XIV presided over the Vigil of Holy Saturday. The ceremony began in a dark and silent St. Peter’s Basilica with the blessing of the fire and the lighting of the Paschal Candle.

Leo XIV marked the candle with the Greek letters alpha and omega, symbolizing that God is the beginning and end of all things. It was then that the procession began and went to the main altar, while the candles of the faithful illuminated the basilica.

Only after the deacon utters the phrase “The light of Christ” (The Light of Christ) three times, all the lights in the basilica were lit. Afterwards the mass began in front of thousands of faithful, during which the “He will rejoice“, the Easter hymn, was proclaimed.

After the homily, the blessing of water and baptism for ten adults takes place. There are five from the Diocese of Rome, two from Great Britain, two from Portugal and one from Korea.

From the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV will lead, this Sunday (5), the Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square and the blessing “The city and the world” (to the city and the world).