Pope Leo's Easter Prime overshadowed by Middle East war

JAKARTA - Pope Leo XIV will celebrate his first Easter as the leader of the Catholic Church in an atmosphere far from calm. While the Vatican is preparing to welcome thousands of people, the war in the Middle East makes this Holy Week feel gloomy, especially for the Christian community in the region.

The Straits Times reported on Wednesday, April 1, that tensions had been felt since the beginning of Holy Week. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, was denied entry into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem by Israeli authorities. He called the incident the first "in centuries".

On March 31, Pope Leo said he hoped that US President Donald Trump "was looking for a way out" to end the war. He also reiterated his call for an end to violence. "We are in Holy Week, Easter is coming, and this should be the holiest time of the year," said Pope Leo. However, according to him, the world is witnessing "so much suffering, so many deaths, even the deaths of innocent children".

Easter is also an emotional moment for Catholics because the shadow of Pope Francis is still very close. Last year, Holy Week was the last public appearance of the Argentine pope. He died on Easter Monday, after last time he had toured St. Peter's Square with a popemobile. Pope Leo was then elected as his successor on May 8, 2025.

The main highlight this year will be the "Urbi et Orbi" blessing that Pope Leo will deliver on April 5 from St. Peter's Basilica. The message is usually not only spiritual, but also loaded with political attitudes. So far, the 70-year-old American-born pope has seemed cautious. He has not directly condemned his country's role in the turmoil in the Middle East. However, during the Palm Sunday Mass on March 29, he expressed regret for the suffering of Christians in the Middle East who, in many cases, could not live out the rites of the holy days in full.

The Straits Times wrote, the most somber atmosphere was felt in southern Lebanon, where Christian villages were at the forefront of Israel's attacks on Hezbollah. The director general of L'Oeuvre d'Orient, Hugues de Woillemont, said many residents were afraid to leave because they feared they would not be able to return if the area was occupied. He reminded, if the Christian community disappears in large numbers, education and health services in Lebanon, Syria, and other regions are also threatened.

In Rome itself, the Easter series begins on Holy Thursday, April 2. Pope Leo is scheduled to resume the tradition of washing the feet of 12 Roman priests. On Good Friday, he will lead the liturgy of the Passion of Christ and follow the Way of the Cross in the Colosseum. According to Vatican sources quoted by The Straits Times, he will also carry the cross himself at all 14 stops. The tradition was once carried out by Pope John Paul II and, on a limited scale, Benedict XVI, but was not continued by Francis for health reasons.

Pope Leo's first Easter also served as an introduction to his first major international tour to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea from April 13 to 23.