Pope Francis prays for Russians to see ' light of Easter'
POPE Francis, yesterday, in his Easter message prayed for "the beloved Ukrainian people" and expressed his concern about recent tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. The pontiff was released from hospital only last week.
The pope on Sunday prayed Sunny atmosphere with patches of clouds are anticipated over the Northern region with prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Taraba and Adamawa in the afternoon/ evening. Cloudy atmosphere with intervals of sunshine are expected over the North Central region in the morning. Later in the day, thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Nasarawa and Benue. Cloudy atmosphere is expected over the Inland cities of the South and Coastal states with chances of thunderstorms over parts of Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, Abia, Imo, Lagos, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa in the afternoon/ evening.
Potential impact
( i) For areas where thunderstorms are expected, strong winds are likely to precede the rains and as such, trees, electric poles, unsecured objects and weak buildings may be felled, the public is advised to be cautious. ( ii) High temperatures are currently being observed over the country which could cause heatstress. Public is advised to take necessary caution/ coping strategies to reduce heat- stress.
( iii) All Airline operators are advised to avail themselves of weather reports periodically from Nimet for effective planning in their operations. for the Ukrainians as part of his traditional Easter Sunday address and said he hoped for light to reach the Russian people.
Seated for the address after a recent bout of ill health, Pope Francis repeated his prayers for peace in Ukraine and other conflict zones across the world.
The pontiff decried "the darkness and the gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped. Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia," he said.
Francis urged God to "comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families. Open the hearts of the entire international community to strive to end this war and all conflict and bloodshed in our world." He also voiced "deep concern" over a flare- up in tensions between Israel and Palestinians.
Recent violence in the Middle East "threatens the desired climate of trust and mutual respect needed to resume dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians," Francis said.
The pontiff gave his speech after a traditional mass in the forecourt of St Peter's Basilica, attended by tens of thousands of worshippers. Ahead of the mass, the Vatican carpeted St Peter's Square with some 35,000 flowers — tulips, daffodils and roses — and plants donated by the Netherlands, transforming it into a "flower garden."
Easter is the highest feast in the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, and commemorates the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which it believes occurred at this period of the year.
The Pope was discharged from a Rome hospital after three nights at the start of this month because of a bronchial infection. It was the pope's second stay in hospital since 2021, and he has increasingly suffered with health issues in recent years. He now uses a wheelchair because of knee pain. Pope Francis has participated in various events since his hospital release, including washing the feet of 12 young prisoners on Holy Thursday.