'Pray for me... and until next time': Ailing Pope Francis, 87, makes Easter ... trends now
Pope Francis has reiterated his call for peace across the world, as he asked people to pray for him amid swirling rumours of his declining health.
The Pontifex spoke to believers gathered in Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican today for an Easter Monday address.
The ailing 87-year-old leader of the Catholic Church said: 'May the peace of Christ also come to those places where he is most in need, to people torn by war, by hunger, by all forms of oppression.'
It comes a day after he explicitly called for an end to the brutal war between Israel and Hamas, after pulling out of a Good Friday procession in Rome for health reasons.
Francis, having arrived in a wheelchair, told churchgoers gathered for mass at 10am yesterday: 'I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on October 7 and for an immediate ceasefire in the Strip.'
The Pontifex spoke to believers gathered in Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican today for an Easter Monday address.
The ailing 87-year-old leader of the Catholic Church said: 'May the peace of Christ also come to those places where he is most in need, to people torn by war, by hunger, by all forms of oppression'
It comes a day after he explicitly called for an end to the brutal war between Israel and Hamas ,
On top of this, he called for a Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap as the war between the countries grinds into a third year.
'In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine,' he told tens of thousands of Catholics gathered at Saint Peter's Square.
Today he asked those gathered
