Vatican City: In a solemn and symbolic start to Easter celebrations, Pope Leo XIV led his first Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, calling on the world to embrace peace, hope, and reconciliation amid deepening global conflicts.
The ceremony began in near darkness on Saturday night, as the pope carried a tall, lit candle into the vast basilica. The single flame gradually spread through the congregation, with worshippers lighting one another’s candles, turning the darkness into a sea of flickering light -a powerful symbol of Christ’s resurrection.
Declaring, “The light of Christ who rises in glory,” the pope marked the beginning of Christianity’s most sacred celebration, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion.
Pope Leo celebrates the Easter Vigil Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.
In his homily, the Pope said that Easter “drives out hatred, fosters concord and brings down the mighty”.
“The power of God’s love,” Pope Leo said, is “stronger than any force of evil … Humanity can kill the… pic.twitter.com/bfnrJNU5AI
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 4, 2026
A Message Against Division
In his homily, Pope Leo spoke candidly about the burdens that divide humanity. He described sin as a force that isolates people from God and from one another, comparing it to the stone that once sealed Christ’s tomb.
The Pope urged believers not to be weighed down by what he called the ‘stones’ of modern life: mistrust, fear, selfishness, and resentment. These, he said, continue to fuel conflict, injustice, and the growing distance between nations and communities.
“Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed,” he told the faithful, calling for a renewed commitment to ensure that the spirit of Easter, marked by harmony and peace, takes root across the world.
The pope’s message comes at a time of escalating tensions worldwide. Referencing ongoing wars, he reiterated his appeal for an end to violence and warned against invoking faith to justify conflict. His remarks echoed his earlier statements during Palm Sunday, when he stressed that God does not heed prayers that are tied to acts of war.
At the Easter Vigil Mass in the Vatican, Pope Leo says that “God responds to the hardness of sin – which divides and kills – with the power of love, which unites and restores life.”https://t.co/OesyVSglpW
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 4, 2026
Tradition and Renewal
The vigil also reflected a blend of tradition and personal conviction. During the Mass, Pope Leo baptized ten adults from different countries, welcoming them into the Catholic faith.
His first Holy Week has been marked by a visibly hands-on approach. On Good Friday, he carried the cross himself during the Stations of the Cross — a rare gesture not seen from a pope in decades. Earlier, on Holy Thursday, he performed the traditional ritual of washing the feet of twelve priests, returning to a more customary form of the rite.
Easter celebrations will continue with an open-air Mass in St. Peter’s Square, followed by the pope’s ‘Urbi et Orbi’ blessing- a message delivered to the city of Rome and the wider world, often reflecting on the major challenges facing humanity.
