Urbi et Orbi: Pope announces prayer vigil for peace next Saturday April 11

Pope Leo XIV urged ‘those who have weapons’ to lay them down in his first Easter Urbi et Orbi message. ‘Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace!’ he said on Easter morning.

He spoke of the need for peace that was “not imposed by force but through dialogue”. The peace of Jesus is “not merely the silence of weapons, but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us,” he added. “In the light of Easter, let us allow ourselves to be amazed by Christ!” he said.

Speaking before crowds Leo XIV later greeted in 10 languages including Chinese and Arabic, he continued: “Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the peace of Christ! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts!”

“I invite everyone to join me in a prayer vigil for peace that we will celebrate here in Saint Peter’s Square next Saturday, April 11,” he said. “On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars and marked by a hatred and indifference that make us feel powerless in the face of evil.

Leo XIV continued: “The power with which Christ rose is entirely nonviolent. It is like that of a grain of wheat which, having rotted in the earth, grows, breaks through the clods, sprouts, and becomes a golden ear of wheat. It is even more like that of a human heart which, wounded by an offence, rejects the instinct for revenge and, filled with compassion, prays for the one who has committed the offence.

“Brothers and sisters, this is the true strength that brings peace to humanity, because it fosters respectful relationships at every level: among individuals, families, social groups, and nations. It does not seek private interests, but the common good”, he added.

Speaking from the loggia of St Peter’s, Leo XIV referred to Pope Francis’s final Urbi et Orbi message last Easter Sunday, the day before his death. “There is an ever-increasing ‘globalisation of indifference,’ to borrow an expression dear to Pope Francis, who one year ago from this loggia addressed his final words to the world, reminding us: ‘What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world!’ (Urbi et Orbi Message, 20 April 2025).”

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally appealed with “renewed urgency” for an end to the violence in the Middle East.

“This week our gaze and our prayers have been turned towards the land where Jesus was crucified. Today, as we shout with joy that Christ is risen, let us pray and call with renewed urgency for an end to the violence and destruction in the Middle East and the Gulf,” she said this morning in Canterbury Cathedral.

Mullally added in her first Easter Day sermon as Archbishop of Canterbury: “May our Christian sisters and brothers know and celebrate the hope of the empty tomb – and may all people of the region receive the peace, justice and freedom they long for.” 

The Archbishop of Westminster Richard Moth said in an Easter message: “In the present times, peace is a distant hope for so many. Ukraine, Iran, Israel, Lebanon are in our minds, and we must not forget the other conflicts that continue across the world and the impact of such situations on the poorest and most vulnerable.”

Moth added: “Closer to home, we see examples of tensions in so many of our communities, together with a continuing denial of the gift of life.” Moth added before thanking members of the House of Lords for their “great courage in opposing legislation that threatens the right to life of both the unborn and those approaching the end of their lives.”

The Scottish Catholic Bishops sent a message of “welcome and encouragement.” to those received into the Catholic Church this Easter. In a statement, they said: “Your faith, your courage, and your joy are a gift to us all. You remind the whole Church of the beauty of new life in Christ and the promise of renewal that the Resurrection brings.”

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