Applause erupts from many of the crowd, estimated by the Vatican to number 100,000.
Religion and Values
Clashes erupt again near flashpoint Jerusalem holy site
Palestinian medical officials say 17 people have been wounded in clashes with Israeli police in Jerusalem.
Ukrainian mayor, lawmakers attend Easter vigil at Vatican
Pope Francis calls – in vain – for a truce in order to reach a negotiated peace.
Pope still working on meeting Russian Orthodox patriarch
Pope Francis says he has no immediate plans for a visit to Kyiv but that a proposal was “on the table.”
Ramadan kicks off in much of Middle East amid soaring prices
Russia’s war on Ukraine also puts a damper on the usual festive atmosphere.
Pope blasts ‘infantile and destructive aggression’
Criticism of the ‘potentate’ responsible for the war marks a new level of outrage for Pope Francis.
Indian scholars, activists criticize ruling upholding hijab ban in schools
Critics fear the potential for wider curbs on Islamic expression in a country seeing a surge of Hindu nationalism.
A spiritual defense of Russia’s war against Ukraine? Putin’s patriarch is trying.
In a country where more than 71% of people identify as Russian Orthodox, Patriarch Kirill is a powerful religious and political figure who has consistently refused to acknowledge the destruction and growing death toll of the war.
Worldwide Orthodox Christian leader denounces ‘atrocious invasion’ of Ukraine
The spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians has denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Indigenous leaders tell pope of abuses at residential schools in Canada
Their demands for justice, reconciliation and reparations gained traction in 2021 after hundreds of unmarked graves were found.