Pope Francis urges peace in Ukraine, decries Middle East violence in Easter message

Vatican City, April 10 (ANI): Pope Francis in his Easter address at the Vatican on Sunday prayed for both Russians and Ukrainians and called for a resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, reported DW News.

The pontiff decried "the darkness and the gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped."

"Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia," he said.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the pontiff has mentioned Ukraine in almost all of his public speeches and has increasingly criticized Moscow.

He also voiced "deep concern" over a flare-up in tensions between Israel and Palestinians.

Recent violence in the Middle East "threatens the desired climate of trust and mutual respect needed to resume dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians," Francis said.

Israeli-Palestinian tensions have sharply increased since Israeli police raids last week on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, which caused outrage across the Arab world.

Francis, 86, presided at a solemn Easter day Mass in a sunny St Peter's Square after unseasonal cold forced him to skip an outdoor service on Friday -- a precaution following his hospitalisation for bronchitis at the end of March.

Francis was discharged from a Rome hospital after three nights at the start of this month because of a bronchial infection. It was the pope's second stay in the hospital since 2021, and he has increasingly suffered from health issues in recent years. He now uses a wheelchair because of knee pain, reported DW News.

He also presided over the Vigil mass -- a 2 1/2 hour ceremony before 8,000 people -- in the Vatican Basilica on Saturday evening. At that service, he lamented the "icy winds of war" and other injustices.

However, Francis did not attend the annual "Way of the Cross" prayer service on Good Friday as a precautionary measure because of the cold weather. (ANI)