Overview
- Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Easter Urbi et Orbi on Sunday, urging “Whoever holds weapons, lay them down” and asking those who can start wars to choose dialogue.
- In his Easter homily on St. Peter’s Square, he condemned war, the oppression of the weak, and profit‑driven plunder of the earth, casting Easter as a call to hope.
- He revived older Holy Week rites by washing priests’ feet on Thursday and carrying a wooden cross through the Colosseum on Friday.
- Tens of thousands attended and the Vatican broadcast the liturgies worldwide, with multilingual greetings that included German restoring a past custom.
- He set a Vatican prayer vigil for peace on April 11, while commentators noted the speech named no countries even as some read it as a message to current leaders.