Pope Francis Condemns The Atrocities Of The Ukraine War At Easter Vigil: We All Pray For You And With You

JAKARTA - Pope Francis condemned the atrocities of war in Ukraine at a Saturday Easter evening Mass which he attended but did not preside.

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

Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re replaced the Pope at the head of the service, which involved a procession in almost complete darkness in the center of the world's largest church.

The Pope sat in front of St. Peter's Basilica in a large white chair to the side, looking alert and standing during the reading of the Gospel.

He read the homily sitting down but in a normal voice and then rose to baptize seven people who converted to Catholicism.

The Pope turned away from the text prepared to greet Fedorov, his family and the three Ukrainian MPs seated at the front.

He spoke of the "darkness of war, cruelty".

"We are all praying for you and with you. We are praying because there is so much suffering. We can only accompany you, our prayers, and say to you 'don't be discouraged, we are with you,'" Francis was quoted as saying by Antara, Sunday.

He ends by saying "Christ is risen" in Ukrainian.

The Vatican said Francis met privately with the Ukrainian delegation before Mass.

The 85-year-old whale suffers from sciatica, which causes pain in one leg and makes it difficult to walk normally.

Recently, Francis also experienced pain in his right knee. The condition seemed to recur and recover.

A program released by the Vatican on Friday lists the Pope as the chief celebrant (priest of the mass) at Saturday night services.

The Vatican did not give an official reason for the change.

On Friday afternoon, the Pope was well enough to walk down the aisle both at the beginning and end of the Good Friday service in the basilica but he did not prostrate himself on the floor as usual during the service.

He had to restrict some of his movements during a trip to Malta in early April and also had to ask a cardinal to replace him at Mass in December.

Several Holy Week activities, culminating in Sunday, marked the first time since 2019 the public was allowed to attend after two years of COVID-19 restrictions.

On Easter Sunday, the most important day of the Christian liturgical calendar, the Pope will hold Mass in St. Peter's Square and then deliver the message and blessing "Urbi et Orbi" (City and World) twice a year.