The Pope called for hope during prayer on Easter Monday. Easter is “truly the hope of Christians”. The 86-year-old addressed the Catholic faithful from the window of the Apostolic Palace – tens of thousands of people had gathered in St. Peter’s Square. He urgently appealed for peace in Ukraine.
The Easter celebrations come to an end with the “Regina coeli”. Easter is the highest church festival for believing Christians. The commemoration of Mary as “Queen of Heaven” and Mother of God replaces the Angelus prayer, which many know from the Sunday speeches of the Pope, until the day of Pentecost.
Francis had celebrated Easter Mass on Easter Sunday in St. Peter’s Basilica and donated the traditional blessing “Urbi et orbi” (“to the city and the world”). He once again pleaded for peace in Ukraine and also addressed the issue of flight and migration.
