‘Come To Aid Of Starving People’: Pope Urges Gaza Ceasefire In Easter Message; Russia-Ukraine Truce Falls Apart

<p>Pope Francis delivered the traditional Urbi et Orbi Easter blessing on Sunday from the balcony of St. Peter&rsquo;s Basilica, appearing before jubilant crowds in what marked his most prominent public appearance since being hospitalised with double pneumonia.</p>
<p>According to CNN, the 88-year-old pontiff, who has refrained from leading the main Holy Week and Easter services due to respiratory issues, made a series of brief public engagements over the weekend. These included a 30-minute visit to a Roman prison on Thursday and a stop at St. Peter&rsquo;s Basilica on Saturday evening. Francis, who spent 38 days in hospital and came close to death, continues to struggle with prolonged speech and arm movement, and is undergoing physiotherapy to help restore his voice.</p>
<p>On Easter Sunday, he managed to greet the faithful with a faint &ldquo;Brothers and Sisters, Happy Easter,&rdquo; notably without his usual nasal cannula for oxygen support. The Urbi et Orbi blessing, which can only be given by the Pope and includes the offer of a plenary indulgence, was read by an aide as Francis stood beside him.</p>
<p>”There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others,” read his speech, which also criticised “worrisome” anti-Semitism, and the “dramatic and deplorable” situation in Gaza.</p>
<p>The Pope&rsquo;s Easter message included a heartfelt appeal for an end to global conflicts, with a particular focus on Gaza. &ldquo;I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!&rdquo; he said, as per the <a href=”https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/urbi/documents/20250420-urbi-et-orbi-pasqua.html”>Vatican release</a>.</p>
<h3><strong>Pope Francis Meets US Vice President JD Vance</strong></h3>
<p>Before the blessing, Pope Francis held a private meeting with US Vice President JD Vance, a devout Catholic. The Vatican said the meeting served as an opportunity to exchange Easter greetings. Vance also held discussions on Saturday with senior Vatican officials, amid lingering tensions following the Pope&rsquo;s earlier rebuke of the Trump administration&rsquo;s immigration policy. The Vatican noted that the parties exchanged views on migrants, refugees, and prisoners.</p>
<p>In a statement released later, Vance&rsquo;s office said he and Cardinal Pietro Parolin discussed &ldquo;their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump&rsquo;s commitment to restoring world peace.&rdquo;</p>
<h3><strong>Russia, Ukraine Trade Blame Over Easter Truce Violations</strong></h3>
<p>Meanwhile, on the battlefront in Eastern Europe, Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating an Easter truce that had been announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin. While Putin had ordered a ceasefire from Saturday evening until Sunday midnight for &ldquo;humanitarian reasons,&rdquo; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Russian forces continued shelling and assaults along the front line.</p>
<p>Zelenskyy said that within the first six hours of the ceasefire, there were &ldquo;387 instances of shelling and 19 assaults by Russian forces,&rdquo; and that Russian drones were used 290 times, AFP reported. Ukraine&rsquo;s air force, however, had not reported drone or missile attacks on Sunday morning.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Ukrainian President shared a report by Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi stating, &ldquo;Unfortunately, the trend of increasing the use of heavy weaponry by Russian forces continues. From the beginning of the day until 4:00 p.m., there have been a total of 46 Russian assaults across various directions and 901 instances of shelling, 448 of which involved heavy weaponry. More than 400 cases of FPV drone use by Russians have already been documented.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The highest level of Russian combat activity this Easter is in the Pokrovsk direction. Putin&rsquo;s words about a &ldquo;ceasefire&rdquo; have also proven empty in the Kursk region, the Siversk direction, and other directions in the Donetsk region. In the Toretsk direction, our troops unfortunately fell into a Russian ambush. Some servicemen have been killed. The Russian soldiers responsible for this will be eliminated, he asserted.</p>
<p>Criticising the ceasefire announcement, <a href=”https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1913955872209768479″>Zelenskyy wrote</a>, &ldquo;The Ukrainian army is acting &ndash; and will continue to act &ndash; in a fully symmetrical manner. This Easter has clearly demonstrated that the only source of this war, and the reason it drags on, is Russia. We are ready to move toward peace and a full, unconditional, and honest ceasefire that could last for at least 30 days &ndash; but there has been no response from Russia on that so far. The situation on the frontline shows that pressure on Moscow and real oversight of the actions of the occupying forces are needed for the ceasefire to be established.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Russia must fully comply with the conditions of the ceasefire. Ukraine&rsquo;s proposal to implement and extend the ceasefire for 30 days after midnight tonight remains on the table,&rdquo; <a href=”https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1913657947311210556″>Zelenskyy posted</a> on Sunday, suggesting that &ldquo;30 days could give peace a chance.&rdquo; He also alleged that Putin had previously rejected a proposed 30-day full and unconditional ceasefire.</p>
<p>Russia&rsquo;s defence ministry said it had &ldquo;repelled&rdquo; Ukrainian assaults in the Donetsk region during the ceasefire and accused Kyiv of launching drone and artillery attacks that resulted in civilian casualties. It claimed Russian troops had &ldquo;strictly observed the ceasefire.&rdquo;</p>
<p>On the streets of Kyiv, civilians expressed scepticism. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve already broken their promise. Unfortunately, we cannot trust Russia today,&rdquo; said 38-year-old Olga Grachova, quoted by AFP. Another resident, railway worker Sergiy Klochko, said, &ldquo;Our president has clearly said that if they announce a 30-hour ceasefire, we will announce a 30-day ceasefire. So let them go for it&hellip; so that this terrible war ends.&rdquo;</p>
<h3><strong>Easter In India Marked With Sunrise Services, Message Of Resurrection And Hope</strong></h3>
<p>In India, Easter was observed with devotion and colour across churches in Secunderabad and Hyderabad. According to The Hindu, the day began as early as 4.30 a.m. with Sunrise Services held at heritage churches including CSI Garrison Wesley Church in Trimulgherry and Holy Trinity Church in Bolarum. Rev. Priscilla Reuben Mark, wife of Bishop M. Rueben Mark of the CSI Medak Diocese, delivered the Easter message at Garrison Wesley Church, where Malkajgiri MLA Marri Rajasekhar Reddy was also present.</p>
<p>Worshippers filled the pews at Centenary Baptist Church and Wesley Church, where Reverend Mettu Wilson addressed the congregation with a message of resurrection and hope. Overflow crowds were seen at St. John the Baptist Church, while Rev. Peter Wigg, Director of Shining Stars Centres, delivered a sermon at CSI Holy Trinity Church.</p>
<p>In Miyapur, the Poddakal family celebrated Easter together across four generations. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t get to meet this often. This day is about togetherness, faith, food, and family,&rdquo; said 62-year-old Shailaja Poddakal as her grandchildren opened chocolate Easter eggs, as quoted by The Hindu.</p>