Pope Francis condemns brutality of Ukraine war at Easter vigil service

On Saturday, Pope Francis spoke out against the brutality of the war in Ukraine at an Easter vigil Mass he attended but did not preside over, likely due to leg problems that has compelled him to limit his activities.

 

Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, who was detained by Russian soldiers last month and then released in a prisoner swap, attended the Mass.

 

The event, which included a procession in near-total darkness across the central nave of Christendom’s greatest church, was led by Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who substituted the pope as the chief celebrant.

 

The pope sat in a large white chair on the side of Saint Peter’s Basilica, appeared alert, and stood for the reading of the gospel.

 

He sat and read his homily in his regular voice before rising to baptise seven adult converts to Catholicism.

 

Fedorov, his family, and three Ukrainian MPs sat in the front row, and the pope deviated from his prepared address to honour their presence.

 

‘The shadow of war, of wickedness,’ he said.

 

Before the Mass, Francis met privately with the Ukrainian delegation, according to the Vatican.

 

Presiding over the Mass, which drew 5,500 people, would have necessitated long periods of standing and genuflecting at the altar during the chanting and gospel readings.

 

Sciatica, which causes discomfort in one leg and a noticeable limp, affects the 85-year-old Pope. Francis’ right knee has also been bothering him recently.

 

The ailment seems to come and go.

 

According to the Vatican, Francis met privately with the Ukrainian delegation prior to the Mass.

 

During the chanting and gospel readings, presiding over the Mass, which drew 5,500 people, would have needed long periods of standing and genuflecting at the altar.

 

 

The pope was listed as the primary celebrant at the Saturday evening liturgy in a Vatican programme released on Friday. The Vatican did not provide an official explanation for the adjustment.

 

The pope was well enough to walk the entire aisle at the start and finish of a Good Friday service in the basilica on Friday afternoon, although he did not prostrate himself on the floor as he usually does.

 

During a trip to Malta in early April, he had to restrict some of his activities, and in December, he had to ask a cardinal to fill in for him at a Mass.