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At Easter vigil, Pope Leo urges world not to grow numb to war

On Saturday, April 4, 2026, Pope Leo XIV presided over his first Easter Vigil at St. Peter's Basilica, baptizing 10 adult converts and delivering a homily urging global harmony amid widespread conflicts.
The vigil followed a demanding Holy Week where Leo restored traditional rites, washing the feet of 12 priests on Holy Thursday and carrying the cross through all 14 Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.
During his homily, Leo called sin "a heavy barrier that closes us off and separates us from God," urging the faithful to work so that "the Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish everywhere and always throughout the world."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Donald Trump's administration's use of prayer in wartime Monday, countering the Pope's prior condemnation of leaders with "hands full of blood."
Sunday morning, Leo will celebrate an open-air Mass in St. Peter's Square before delivering the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" message "to the city and the world," which acts as a summary of the world's woes.

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