These were the last words of Pope Francis.

dangladexuat_07_2023 · April 22, 2025 · 0 Comment

Pope Francis appeared yesterday in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican to give the Urbi et Orbi Blessing.

Pope Francis died this Monday, April 21, due to problems arising from bilateral pneumonia, which he was diagnosed with on February 14 and which kept him hospitalized for several days at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

Yesterday, Sunday, April 20, he made his final public appearance from the Vatican balcony to give the Urbi et Orbi Blessing at Easter Mass.

He could be seen in a wheelchair, looking haggard, deferring the reading of his speech due to his respiratory problems. Despite his health, he wanted to be present and even toured St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile, from which he greeted the thousands of pilgrims present at the Holy See.

During his appearance, Pope Francis was able to say only a few words before giving way to the master of ceremonies to read his message: “Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter. The master of ceremonies will read the message to you.” From there, with the Pope present, a collaborator proceeded to read it.

A call for peace

The central theme of the blessing was religious freedom and world peace. “Peace is not possible without freedom of religion, thought, and expression” was one of the most notable phrases in his speech. He also called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, “where the terrible conflict continues to bring death and destruction, and provoke a dramatic and undignified humanitarian crisis.” “Let the fire cease, let the hostages be freed, and aid be provided to the hungry people,” he concluded.

He also expressed concern about the growing climate of anti-Semitism spreading throughout the world, and particularly criticized the attacks on schools and hospitals, calling for “that the principle of humanity, as the cornerstone of our daily actions, never be weakened.” Finally, he recalled other wars such as the one in Ukraine, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the situation in African regions such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.

He called for global disarmament

Another key point of his blessing was the global arms race. He commented that peace is not possible without true disarmament and that although each nation must provide for its own defense, this situation cannot turn into a general race for rearmament.