Pope Leo urges peace in first Easter Mass as Christians celebrate in Jerusalem, Gaza and Tehran

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo

Leo, the first American-born pope, emphasized Easter’s message of hope as a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection after being crucified.

“Let our hearts be transformed by his immense love for us! Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to start wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but by dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to meet them!” » implored the pope.

With the US-Israeli war against Iran in its second month and the ongoing Russian campaign in Ukraine, Leo acknowledged a sense of indifference “to the deaths of thousands…to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow…to the economic and social consequences that they produce.”

Without mentioning the wars by name, Leo cited his predecessor, Pope Francis, who, during his last public appearance from the same loggia at Easter, reminded the faithful of “the great thirst for death, for killing, of which we witness every day.”

Francis, weakened by a long illness, died the next day, Easter Monday.

PHOTOS: Pope Leo calls for peace during first Easter mass as Christians celebrate in Jerusalem, Gaza and Tehran

The Urbi et Orbi blessing, which in Latin means “to the city and the world”, traditionally includes a litany of the world’s woes. Leo followed this formula during his Christmas blessing. There was no immediate explanation for the change.

Earlier, Leo addressed some 50,000 worshipers from an open-air altar in St. Peter’s Square flanked by white roses, while the steps leading to the square where the faithful gathered were filled with spring perennials, symbolically resonating with the pope’s words.

He implored the faithful in his homily to keep their hope in the face of death, which hides “in the abuses which crush the weakest among us, because of the idolatry of profit which plunders the resources of the earth, because of the violence of war which kills and destroys”.

Speaking from the loggia, the pope announced a prayer vigil for peace on April 11 in the basilica.

Small changes in traditions

Leo greeted the faithful around the world in 10 languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Latin, reviving a practice that his predecessor Pope Francis had abandoned.

Before retiring into the basilica, Leo emerged from the shadows of the loggia and greeted the enthusiastic crowd below. He then greeted people in the square from the popemobile which took him along the Via della Conciliazione towards the Tiber and back.

During the marathon that is Holy Week, Leo also resumed the tradition of washing the feet of priests on Maundy Thursday, a gesture of encouragement to the clergy, after Francis chose a more inclusive path, visiting prisons and homes for the disabled to wash the feet of women, non-Christians and prisoners.

The 70-year-old pontiff also became the first pope in decades to carry the lightweight wooden cross for all 14 stations of the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.

Christians in the Holy Land celebrate Easter gently

Traditional ceremonies at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, revered by Christians as the traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, have been scaled back under an agreement with Israeli police. Authorities have limited the size of public gatherings due to ongoing missile attacks.

The restrictions also eased the recent Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, as well as the Jewish holiday of Passover, which currently lasts for a week. On Sunday, the blessing of Jewish priests at the Western Wall – normally attended by tens of thousands of people – was limited to just 50 people.

The restrictions have strained relations between Israeli authorities and Christian leaders. Last week, police prevented two of the Church’s top religious leaders, including Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from celebrating Palm Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Small Palestinian Christian community in Gaza celebrates first Easter since ceasefire

At the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, Catholics young and old gathered for a traditional Easter mass. Singing, they formed a queue down the aisle, waiting for the opportunity to kiss a sketch of Jesus held by a clergy member who was wiping the glass frame between rounds.

“There is great joy, especially after the ceasefire and after almost three years of suffering and inability to celebrate all the holy holidays,” said George Anton from Gaza City. “People are somewhat relieved and more stable. »

Armenian Christians try to show normalcy by partying in Iran

Armenian Christians celebrated Easter Sunday at a church in the Iranian capital, striving to maintain a sense of normalcy five weeks after the start of the war.

Families hugged each other and children exchanged painted eggs at Saint Sarkis Cathedral in central Tehran. The Iranian capital has been the target of daily airstrikes since the start of the war between the United States and Israel on February 28.

“Whether we like it or not, we have young children who don’t understand what’s going on,” said Juanita Arakel, 40, an English teacher. “They just need to feel normal.”

The Islamic Republic, with a population of around 90 million, is home to some 300,000 Christians, mostly Armenians, and three seats in parliament are reserved for Christians.

“Our appeals and prayers are that we can end this war,” said Sepuh Sargsyan, archbishop of the Armenian diocese of Tehran. “Our appeals and prayers are that we can end this war.”

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Barry reported from Milan. Associated Press journalists Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Bassem Mroue in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.