Pope donates Urbi et orbi with a weak voice blessing

Catholic Church

Pope donates Urbi et orbi with a weak voice blessing

Four weeks after his release from the hospital, Francis is cheered by tens of thousands. Before that, he also has time for US Vice President JD Vance. However, he looks weak in the performance.

In front of several ten thousand believers on St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis donated the blessing Urbi et Orbi (the city and the earth) at Easter. The 88 -year -old head of the Catholic Church has been cheered on his most important appearance since the dismissal from the hospital. Francis spoke the blessing in a very weak voice. Then he let himself be crossed in the open papamobile.

Francis had been in the hospital for a total of 38 days in Rome with life -threatening pneumonia in spring. According to the doctors, he was close to death several times. Since his release four weeks ago, the native of Argentine rarely appeared in public – and if so, then only briefly. Speaking is still causing significant problems.

Immediately before the blessing, Franziskus received the Catholic US Vice President JD Vance for a few minutes in his residence in the Vatican, the Santa Marta guest house. He was not there at the Easter mass with around 35,000 believers on St. Peter’s Square. Only then was he driven in a wheelchair onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. In contrast to other recent appearances, he had no hose in his nose, over which he gets additional oxygen.

The performance was cheered very much. Calls “Long live the Pope” again and again. Francis didn’t say much during the about 20 minutes. At the beginning he greeted the crowd with the words: “Dear sisters and brothers: Happy Easter.” His Easter message was then read out by a clergyman while he is silent in a wheelchair. He spoke the blessing in a shortened version. He also seemed weakened when driving in the papamobile.

Since the beginning of his pontificate in 2013, Francis has never missed the Easter celebration on St. Peter’s Square. This year the festival on the resurrection of Jesus Christ has even greater importance because the Catholic Church declared in 2025 to the Holy Year. According to estimates, around one million visitors are guests in Rome this weekend, including believers from all over the world.

Actually, the second oldest Pope in history always wanted to be there on the important appointments around Easter. Now, however, he had to be represented at all major trade fairs of cardinals. Before Easter night, he was brought to St. Peter’s Basis by helpers in a wheelchair on Saturday evening in a wheelchair. The Easter mass on Sunday was led by Cardinal Angelo Comastri (81).

While the fair was running, Francis himself had a guest in his residence to the US Vice President Vance. Donald Trump’s deputy in 2019 was transferred to Catholic faith. The Vatican made no more detailed information on the topics. A spokesman then only announced: “The conversation that took a few minutes offered the opportunity to exchange Easter greetings.” The relationship of the Pope to Trump is considered tense.

In the read Easter message, Francis criticized “how much contempt” migrants are sometimes shown. “On this day, I would like to find back to hope and trust in our fellow human beings – including those who are not close to us or come from distances, ideas and customs from distant countries with foreign customs.”

At the same time, the Pope warned more efforts for peace around the world. He also mentioned the wars in the Middle East and in Ukraine. Without freedom of thought and speech, there could be no real peace as without disarmament.