Pope Francis calls for peace in Ukraine in his final address

Pope Francis. Photo: Vatican News, 2013

On Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, Pope Francis delivered his traditional Urbi et Orbi ("To the City and the World") Easter message, addressing the faithful and all people of goodwill. At the Pope’s request, the message was read aloud by the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli. As it turned out, this would be the Pontiff’s final public message – he passed away the following day.

In this last address, Pope Francis turned his attention to the war in Ukraine, calling for the establishment of a just and lasting peace, Vatican News reports.

“May the risen Christ grant Ukraine, devastated by war, his Easter gift of peace, and encourage all parties involved to pursue efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace,” the Pope said in what became his final appeal.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church stressed that “there can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others.”

The late Pontiff placed special emphasis on the issue of armaments: “Nor is peace possible without true disarmament! The requirement that every people provide for its own defence must not turn into a race to rearmament. The light of Easter impels us to break down the barriers that create division and are fraught with grave political and economic consequences.”

In his final message, Pope Francis urged world leaders “not to yield to the logic of fear which only leads to isolation from others, but rather to use the resources available to help the needy, to fight hunger and to encourage initiatives that promote development."

“May the principle of humanity never fail to be the hallmark of our daily actions,” the Pope emphasized, condemning attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers.

Concluding his final address, the leader of the Vatican expressed hope that Easter might become “a fitting occasion for the liberation of prisoners of war and political prisoners.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Pope Francis passed away on April 21.

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