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full screen Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday evening. Photo: Alessandra Tarantino/AP/TT
On the evening of Easter Eve, Pope Francis held the Easter vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
In front of around 6,000 spectators, he gave a ten-minute sermon in which he emphasized that Easter is the festival of hope.
– It is God’s strength; the victory of life over death, the triumph of light over darkness, the rebirth of hope amid the ruins of collapse, he said.
As last year, Francis arrived at the church room in a wheelchair. He has had health problems for the past year and has recently canceled a number of appearances.
On Good Friday, the 87-year-old Pope had chosen to forego the so-called Way of the Cross because, according to a statement, he wanted to save energy for the Easter holidays and the performances planned in connection with them.
As is tradition, the Pope dedicates a moment to baptizing a number of adults from different countries, this year eight people.
On Easter Sunday, Francis is expected to lead this year’s Easter Mass in front of tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square.