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On a somber Easter morning, as thousands gathered at St. Peter’s Square, the world witnessed one of the most heartfelt appeals for peace in modern times. Pope Francis, visibly frail and unable to read the entire message himself, sat quietly as an aide delivered his final Easter speech—just hours before his passing.
In his message, he described Easter as a “celebration of life” amidst the growing “rumble of death.” The Pope drew attention to the alarming rise in global conflicts, expressing deep sorrow over the wars plaguing Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan.
“What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of our world!... How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants!”
— Pope Francis
His words were a reflection of how much the world had changed since his papacy began in 2013—a time before the Crimea annexation, before the Syrian war drew in global powers, and before migration was seen as a crisis.
In his speech, the Pope mentioned 11 countries and 6 regions currently gripped by violence. He prayed for Christian communities in Lebanon and Syria, urged dialogue to resolve famine in Yemen, and called for peace in both Sudan and South Sudan. He also highlighted the victims of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and found a faint glimmer of hope in the fragile ceasefire in Myanmar.
A significant part of his final plea focused on Ukraine, where he called for a “just and lasting peace,” and on Gaza, where he strongly condemned the ongoing violence. In January, he had described the war between Israel and Hamas as “very serious and shameful,” emphasizing his unwavering stance for humanity and peace.
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