The pontiff once again criticized weapons of war as he called for faster distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Pope Francis in his annual Easter message on Sunday urged world leaders to speed up the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and, once again, called for a end to armed conflict. The pope gave Easter mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and afterwards delivered the Urbi et Orbi (“To the city and the world”) address. During the mass, he led worshipers in silent prayer in place of the usual homily. Francis would normally deliver the address to thousands of believers packed into St. Peter’s Square but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he made the remarks to a crowd of fewer than 200 in the basilica. “The pandemic is still spreading, while the social and economic crisis remains severe, especially for the poor,” Francis said. “Nonetheless – and this is scandalous – armed conflicts have not ended and military arsenals are being strengthened.” The pope prayed to God to comfort the sick and praised medical workers.
