Eye Opener: Pope Francis misses Good Friday procession

Pope Francis makes appeal for peace in Gaza in Easter message

(The Hill) — Pope Francis made a strong appeal for a cease-fire in Gaza and the “prompt” release of all Israel hostages during his traditional Easter message “to the city and the world” on Sunday.

The address came after Francis presided over Mass in the morning and made several loops around the piazza, greeting some of the tens of thousands of people that the Vatican estimated to be in attendance.

Francis appeared “in good form,” The Associated Press reported, after battling respiratory problems all winter. It was a reassuring sign after Francis skipped the traditional Good Friday procession and skipped the Palm Sunday Mass last week, leaving an open question as to whether he would be fully participating in the Easter celebrations.

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From the central balcony of the St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis delivered the traditional annual address, expressing his sympathies for those suffering throughout the world and calling for a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.

“My thoughts go especially to the victims of the many conflicts worldwide, beginning with those in Israel and Palestine, and in Ukraine. May the risen Christ open a path of peace for the war-torn peoples of those regions. In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine, all for the sake of all!

Francis called for humanitarian aid to be “ensured to Gaza,” for the “prompt” release of all Israeli hostages taken on Oct. 7, and for “an immediately cease-fire” in the Gaza Strip.

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“Let us not allow the current hostilities to continue to have grave repercussions on the civil population, by now at the limit of its endurance, and above all on the children. How much suffering we see in the eyes of the children: the children in those lands at war have forgotten how to smile!” he added. “With those eyes, they ask us: Why? Why all this death? Why all this destruction? War is always an absurdity; war is always a defeat!”

“Let us not allow the strengthening winds of war to blow on Europe and the Mediterranean. Let us not yield to the logic of weapons and rearming. Peace is never made with arms, but with outstretched hands and open hearts.”

Francis said, “let us not forget Syria,” noting the immense suffering from “a long and devastating war.” He also expressed grief for the suffering of the Haitians and the Rohingya.

Francis appealed “to all who have political responsibilities to spare no efforts in combatting the scourge of human trafficking, by working tirelessly to dismantle the networks of exploitation and to bring freedom to those who are their victims.”

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Pope Francis makes appeal for peace in Gaza in Easter message

Pope Francis made a strong appeal for a cease-fire in Gaza and the “prompt” release of all Israel hostages during his traditional Easter message “to the city and the world” on Sunday.

Francis called for humanitarian aid to be “ensured to Gaza,” for the “prompt” release of all Israeli hostages taken on Oct. 7, and for “an immediately cease-fire” in the Gaza Strip.

Francis said, “let us not forget Syria,” noting the immense suffering from “a long and devastating war.” He also expressed grief for the suffering of the Haitians and the Rohingya.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

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Pope Francis calls predecessor Benedict a key transitional figure

Pope Francis has described his predecessor Benedict XVI as a transitional pope, saying he was the only possible candidate to follow the upheavals under former pope John Paul II.

Germany’s Joseph Ratzinger, who became pope Benedict, was the only candidate who could be pontiff at the time when a new pope was elected in 2005, said Francis, the current head of the Catholic Church in an extract from a book due to be published in Spanish on Wednesday.

“After the revolution of John Paul II, who was a dynamic, very active pontiff, who took the initiative, who travelled… We needed a pope who could maintain a healthy balance, a transitional pope,” said Francis, referring to the election of Ratzinger who became Benedict XVI.

In the papal election at that time, some cardinals sought to block Ratzinger’s election, Francis said in the book of by the Vatican correspondent of Spanish newspaper ABC.

At the time, the cardinals also brought his name into play but, “if they had chosen someone like me, someone who creates a lot of chaos, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything. At that time, it would have been impossible,” said Francis, in the book called “El Sucesor,” or The Successor.

Germany’s pope emeritus Benedict XVI, born as Joseph Ratzinger in Bavaria in 1927, was pope from 2005 until his unexpected resignation in 2013. He died in 2022.

He was succeeded by Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, in 2013.

Pope Francis pictured during the Holy Mass on Easter Sunday at the St. Peter's Square. Domenico Cippitelli/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa — Pope Francis pictured during the Holy Mass on Easter Sunday at the St. Peter’s Square. Domenico Cippitelli/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

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Pope Francis delivers Easter Sunday address, amid concerns for his health, calls for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza

After the service, Francis took to his open-topped popemobile to greet crowds in the square and the avenue connecting St Peter’s to the River Tiber. The Vatican said about 60,000 people had turned up.

The address, delivered without incident or further indications of poor health, has helped to bolster the observations of those who have downplayed the significance of previous incidents.

“The pope’s decision to abandon the Palm Sunday homily seems to be a spiritual choice, not more,” Deborah Castellano Lubov, a Vatican analyst and contributor for NBC News, said. “It is clear to anyone watching Pope Francis in these years, he doesn’t make decisions based on what others think or what others tell him to do.”

“Concerns that it could be something more worrying, didn’t seem to have great foundations as Pope Francis certainly seemed to be able to recite his appeals at the end of the mass and circle around afterward greeting the enthusiastic crowds in St. Peter’s Square, before kicking off a grueling Holy Week at full speed,” Lubov said on Sunday, ahead of the pope’s Easter speech. On Saturday night, he presided over the Easter vigil, also without incident.

On Holy Thursday, the pope stuck to the schedule and washed the feet of twelve female inmates at Rebibbia prison in the outskirts of Rome, a tradition meant to emulate Jesus Christ’s washing of his disciples’ feet the night before he died.

Image: — Pope Francis arrives in a wheelchair in St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican for Easter Sunday mass.Andrew Medichini / AP

Due to his mobility problems, he was forced to sit on a wheelchair, but he was determined to carry out the tradition nevertheless, perhaps adding even more value to a ceremony meant to emphasize humility. He also became the first pontiff in history to wash the feet of only women on Holy Thursday.

But then, on Good Friday, the Vatican announced at the very last minute that the pope would not attend the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum “to preserve his health” for Saturday’s Vigil and Easter Sunday Mass. The pontiff, the Vatican said, would follow the event from Casa Santa Marta, his residence, leaving the white seat prepared for him at the Colosseum empty.

This is the second year in a row the pope has skipped the Way of the Cross. Last year he did not attend as he was discharged only a few days earlier from the hospital, where he was treated for bronchitis with intravenous antibiotics. But while his absence last year was announced with a few days’ notice, the sudden cancellation this year once again raised concerns.

Concerns about the pope’s declining health started in 2021, when he was rushed to the hospital to have part of his colon removed. Then in June 2023, he was once again admitted, without prior notice by the Vatican, for abdominal surgery to remove internal scar tissue.

His mobility problems worsened during the past year due to sciatica and severe knee pain. He began walking with a cane, and more recently has been using a wheelchair. In November, he pulled out three days before a scheduled trip to Dubai to attend COP28 due to a persistent lung inflammation.

The pope’s declining health sparked wild speculation on whether he will retire just as his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, did in 2013. But in a recently published autobiography, “Life: My Story Through history,” the pope said that, at least at present, there is “no risk” of him resigning. “I believe the pope’s ministry is for life.” Francis wrote. “I therefore see no justification for giving it up.”

Claudio Lavanga

Yuliya Talmazan and Reuters contributed.

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Pope Francis says “peace is never made with weapons” at Easter Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Square

Rallying from a winter-long bout of respiratory problems, Pope Francis led some 30,000 people in Easter celebrations Sunday and made a strong appeal for a cease-fire in Gaza and a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine.

Francis presided over Easter Sunday Mass in a flower-decked St. Peter’s Square and then delivered a heartfelt prayer for peace in his annual roundup of global crises. In between, he made several loops around the piazza in his popemobile, greeting well-wishers.

“Peace is never made with weapons, but with outstretched hands and open hearts,” Francis said from the loggia overlooking the square, to applause from the wind-swept crowd below.

Francis appeared in good form, despite having celebrated the 2½-hour nighttime Easter Vigil just hours before. The pontiff, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been battling respiratory problems all winter.

The co-author of a new memoir of the pontiff told CBS News earlier this month that Francis only thinks about resignation because journalists ask him about it.

“In the book, we talk about the resignation,” Fabio Marchese Ragona said. “He said, ‘I am good right now, I don’t think resignation.'”

The Vatican said some 30,000 people attended the Mass, with more packing the Via della Conciliazione boulevard leading to the piazza. At the start of the service, a gust of wind knocked over a large religious icon on the altar just a few feet from the pope; ushers quickly righted it.

Pope Francis delivers his "Urbi et Orbi" message at St. Peter's Square — Pope Francis gestures from a balcony at St. Peter’s Square, on Easter Sunday, at the Vatican March 31, 2024.

Remo Casilli / REUTERS

Easter Mass is one of the most important dates on the liturgical calendar, celebrating what the faithful believe was Jesus’ resurrection after his crucifixion. The Mass precedes the pope’s “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) blessing, in which the pope traditionally offers a laundry list of the threats afflicting humanity.

This year, Francis said his thoughts went particularly to people in Ukraine and Gaza and all those facing war, particularly the children who he said had “forgotten how to smile.”

“In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for the sake of all!” he said.

He called for the “prompt” release of prisoners taken from Israel on Oct. 7, an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and for humanitarian access to reach Palestinians.

“Let us not allow the current hostilities to continue to have grave repercussions on the civil population, by now at the limit of its endurance, and above all on the children,” he said in a speech that also touched on the plight of Haitians, the Rohingya and victims of human trafficking.

For the past few weeks, Francis has generally avoided delivering long speeches to avoid the strain on his breathing. He ditched his Palm Sunday homily last week and decided at the last minute to stay home from the Good Friday procession at the Colosseum.

The Vatican said in a brief explanation that the decision was made to “conserve his health.”

The decision clearly paid off, as Francis was able to recite the prayers of the lengthy Saturday night Easter Vigil service, including administering the sacraments of baptism and First Communion to eight new Catholics, and preside over Easter Sunday Mass and deliver his speech.

Easter Mass at St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican — A general view of St. Peter’s Square during the Easter Mass attended by Pope Francis, at the Vatican, March 31, 2024.

Remo Casilli / REUTERS

Francis wasn’t the only leader whose mere presence at Easter offered a reassuring sign of stability and normalcy.

In Britain, King Charles III joined the queen and other members of the royal family for an Easter service at Windsor Castle in his most significant public outing since he was diagnosed with cancer last month.

The monarch offered a cheery wave to spectators as he walked into St. George’s Chapel. A member of the public shouted “Happy Easter,” and Charles responded “And to you.”

But things were hardly normal in Jerusalem, where Easter Mass came and went at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Only a few dozen faithful attended the service as the Israel-Hamas war rages on in Gaza.

The medieval church in the Old City is the holy site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

In years past, the church has been packed with worshippers and tourists. But the bloody conflict in Gaza, now into its sixth month, has seen a huge downturn in tourism and pilgrimages across Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The streets of the old city were also absent of Palestinian Christians from the West Bank, who normally flock to the Holy City for Easter. Since the conflict erupted, Palestinian worshippers from the Israeli-occupied territory have needed special permission to cross checkpoints into Jerusalem.

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Pope Francis will preside over Easter Vigil after skipping Good Friday at last minute, Vatican says

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The Vatican confirmed Pope Francis would preside over the Easter Vigil service on Saturday night, after he decided at the last minute to skip his participation in the Good Friday procession at the Colosseum as a health precaution.

The Vatican’s daily bulletin confirmed Francis would lead the lengthy vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the most solemn and important moments in the Catholic liturgical calendar. The service, which is due to begin at 7:30 p.m. local time and usually lasts two hours, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus and includes the sacrament of baptism for eight adult converts.

The 87-year-old Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been battling respiratory problems all winter that have made it difficult for him to speak at length.

He has canceled some audiences and often asked an aide to read aloud some of his speeches. But he ditched his Palm Sunday homily altogether and decided at the last minute Friday to stay home rather than preside over the Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum re-enacting Christ’s crucifixion.

The Vatican said in a brief explanation that the decision was made to “conserve his health” in view of the vigil service on Saturday and his even more taxing obligations on Easter Sunday. The pope is due to preside over a morning Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square and deliver his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) speech praying for an end to global crises.

APTOPIX Italy Pope Good Friday — Faithful hold the cross as they take part in the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) torchlight procession at the Colosseum on Good Friday, in Rome, Friday, March 29, 2024.

Andrew Medichini / AP

While Francis also skipped the chilly Good Friday procession last year because he was recovering from bronchitis, his sudden absence from the event this year raised concern. His chair was in place on the podium, and his aides were preparing for his arrival when the Vatican announced five minutes before the official start time that he wasn’t coming.

In addition to his respiratory problems, Francis had a chunk of his large intestine removed in 2021 and was hospitalized twice last year, including once to remove intestinal scar tissue from previous surgeries to address diverticulosis, or bulges in his intestinal wall. He has been using a wheelchair or cane for nearly two years because of bad knee ligaments.

In his recently published memoirs, “Life: My Story Through History,” Francis said he isn’t suffering from any health problems that would require him to resign, and that he still has “many projects to bring to fruition.”

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Eye Opener: Pope Francis misses Good Friday procession

Eye Opener: Pope Francis misses Good Friday procession – CBS News

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Pope Francis did not take part in a traditional Good Friday procession in Rome. Meanwhile, Sean “Diddy” Combs has resurfaced in Miami after federal agents raided his homes. All that and all that matters in today’s Eye Opener.

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Work begins to reopen Port of Baltimore after Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

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The complex operation to reopen the Port of Baltimore after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge is underway. Several cranes, including the largest floating crane on the East Coast, recently arrived at the site, and more vital equipment is on the way.

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Pope Francis washes feet of 12 women at Rome prison in ceremony

Pope Francis washes feet of 12 women at Rome prison in ceremony – CBS News

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From his wheelchair, 87-year-old Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of 12 women, who are inmates at a prison in Rome, during a Holy Thursday ceremony that recalls the foot-washing Jesus performed on his 12 apostles before he was crucified. Francis was the first pope to include women in the ceremony.

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Pope Francis washes feet of 12 women at Rome prison from his wheelchair

Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of 12 women inmates at a Rome prison during a Holy Thursday ritual meant to emphasize his vocation of service and humility.

The 87-year-old Francis performed the ritual from his wheelchair, after recent ailments have compounded his mobility problems. The Rebibbia prison venue was outfitted to accommodate his needs: The women sat on stools on a raised-up platform, enabling the pope to move down the line with ease from his wheelchair without having to strain himself.

Many of the women wept as Francis washed their feet, gently pouring water over one bared foot and patting it dry with a small towel. He finished the gesture by kissing each foot, often looking up to the woman with a smile.

The Holy Thursday foot-washing ceremony is a hallmark of every Holy Week and recalls the foot-washing Jesus performed on his 12 apostles at their last supper together before he was crucified.

Francis revolutionized the ritual for the Vatican by insisting, from his very first Holy Thursday as pope in 2013, to include women and people of other faiths among the 12. Previously, popes performed the ritual on Catholic men only at a Rome basilica.

Italy Pope Holy Thursday — In this image made available by Vatican Media, Pope Francis washes and kisses the feet of 12 women inmates of the Rebibbia prison in the outskirts of Rome on Holy Thursday, March 28, 2024, a ritual meant to emphasize his vocation of service and humility.

Vatican Media / AP

Francis has traveled each year to a prison, refugee center or youth detention facility to emphasize his belief that a priest’s vocation is to serve especially those most on the margins. In his brief homily, delivered off-the-cuff, Francis explained the meaning of the gesture.

“Jesus humiliates himself,” Francis said. “With this gesture, he makes us understand what he had said: ‘I am not here to be served, but to serve.'”

“He teaches us the path of service,” Francis said.

Francis appeared in good shape at the prison, even after presiding over a long Mass earlier in the day in St. Peter’s Basilica. During the morning liturgy, he delivered a lengthy homily with a set of marching orders to Rome-based priests at the start of a busy few days leading to Easter.

Francis has been hobbled by a long bout of respiratory problems this winter and in recent weeks has asked an aide to read aloud his remarks to spare him the strain. On Palm Sunday, he skipped his homily altogether.

But Francis seemed energized by his visit to the Rebibbia prison, where he was given a basket of vegetables grown in the prison garden as well as two liturgical stoles embroidered by the inmates.

APTOPIX Italy Pope Holy Thursday — Pope Francis kisses the foot of a woman inmate. The Holy Thursday foot-washing ceremony is a hallmark of every Holy Week and recalls the foot-washing Jesus performed on his 12 apostles at their last supper together before he was crucified.

Vatican Media / AP

Francis, for his part, regifted a framed image of the Madonna that he had been given, saying as soon as he received it he thought of the women at Rebibbia. He also gave a big chocolate Easter egg to the young son of one of the inmates.

Even with Holy Thursday events wrapped up, Francis has a busy few days coming up that will test his stamina.

On Friday, he is due to travel at night to the Colosseum for the Way of the Cross procession re-enacting Christ’s crucifixion. On Saturday, he presides over an evening Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica followed a few hours later by Easter Sunday Mass in the piazza and his big noontime Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) speech highlighting global conflicts and disasters afflicting humanity.

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