Pope Leo XIV, wey be di new head of Catholic Church, don use im first Easter celebration yarn serious matter about peace for world wey dey full of war. As e carry big candle wey dey burn enter dark St. Peter's Basilica for Saturday night vigil, di pope talk say Easter suppose bring harmony and peace for everywhere.
Di Easter vigil na one big tradition wey Christians dey use remember how Jesus Christ rise from death after dem crucify am. Pope Leo talk say sin dey like heavy stone wey dey block people from God, but Easter show say even heavy stone fit turn over. E mention some stones wey dey heavy for our time: mistrust, fear, selfishness, and resentment. War, injustice, and how countries dey isolate themselves na other stones wey dey block peace.
“Make we no allow dem paralyze us!” di pope yarn for im homily. E pray make Easter gifts of harmony and peace grow for everywhere for di world. Dis message come at time wey US-Israeli war against Iran don enter second month and Russia war for Ukraine still dey go on. Pope Leo don dey talk about dis wars before. For Palm Sunday, e talk say God no dey listen to prayers of people wey dey make war or use God name justify violence.
For di vigil, candle bearers light di candles of people wey gather for di church as dem dey waka down di aisle. Light just dey spread for di dark basilica before light come on fully as pope reach di main altar. Cardinals wey wear white follow am. Pope Leo baptize ten adults from different parts of di world during di Mass, follow tradition.
Di pope first Holy Week show say e strong well. For Good Friday, e carry cross for all fourteen stations of di Way of di Cross—something wey pope no do for decades. For Holy Thursday, e wash feet of twelve priests, bring back tradition wey Pope Francis before am don change by including laypeople and non-Christians.
On Sunday morning, Pope Leo celebrate open-air Mass for St. Peter's Square. White roses dey for di square, and spring flowers cover di steps wey lead down to where people gather. Di flowers match with di pope message of hope. For im Easter homily, di pope talk say we need hope song for now as war dey spread.
E single out people wey dey wage war, abuse weak people, and put profit before everything. “We see death for injustices, for partisan selfishness, for how dem dey oppress poor people, for how dem no dey pay attention to vulnerable people,” di pope yarn. “We see am for violence, for wounds of di world, for cry of pain wey dey come from every corner because of abuses wey dey crush di weakest among us, because of idolatry of profit wey dey plunder earth resources, because of violence of war wey dey kill and destroy.”
Di pope quote Pope Francis say make people no fall into indifference because of “persistent injustice, evil, indifference and cruelty.” But e add say even for darkness, something new fit spring up and later bear fruit. After di Mass, Pope Leo go deliver di traditional “Urbi et Orbi” message—”to di city and di world”—wey dey summarize world problems.
For Jerusalem, Easter celebration scale down because of agreement with Israeli police. Dem limit how many people fit gather for public because missile attacks still dey happen. Di restrictions affect Muslim Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr holiday, and Jewish Passover festival wey dey go on now. For Sunday, Jewish priestly blessing for Western Wall wey normally gather tens of thousands limit to just fifty people.
Di restrictions don cause wahala between Israeli authorities and Christian leaders. Police last week stop two top church leaders, including Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from celebrating Palm Sunday for Church of di Holy Sepulchre—di place wey Christians believe say Jesus crucify and rise. On Tuesday, Pope Leo talk say e hope say di war go finish before Easter, but as Sunday show, di fighting still dey go on.
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