Pope Leo XIV led the evening vigil mass on the eve of Easter, in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, calling on the faithful not to remain silent about the scale of conflict in the world, but to work for peace.
The Pope, in his first Easter vigil as head of the Roman Catholic Church, called for Easter to usher in harmony and peace in a world torn apart by wars.
Christians who use the Gregorian calendar today celebrate Easter, which for believers marks Christ's triumph over death with his resurrection after the crucifixion.
"Sin is a heavy barrier that closes us off and separates us from God, seeking to kill his words of hope within us," the pope said. He compared it to the stone that covered Jesus' tomb but was found rolled back, revealing Jesus' resurrection.
The Pope said that some stones are "so heavy and so carefully guarded that they seem immovable." He urged people not to let it paralyze them.
"Let us not allow ourselves to remain paralyzed," the pope said at Mass on the holiest night in the Catholic calendar when, according to the Bible, Jesus rose from the dead.
The Pope has repeatedly called for a cessation of hostilities due to the US-Israeli war against Iran that began in February and the Russian war in Ukraine.
In his homily before thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Basilica, the pope called on Catholics to follow the example of saints who fought for justice so that "the Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish everywhere."
The head of the Roman Catholic Church will conclude Easter celebrations this morning when he will celebrate Mass and deliver a message "To the City and the World" (Urbi et Orbi), which is usually the time when he makes a major international appeal.
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