Easter Celebrated Globally Amid Calls for Peace

Millions of Christians worldwide celebrated Easter with services and vigils focusing on hope, peace, and renewal amid ongoing global conflicts. Notable gatherings occurred in the UAE, Russia, the Philippines, Iraq, and India, marked by traditional rituals like multilingual masses, lighting of Paschal candles, and dawn processions. In the Vatican, Pope Francis, recovering from illness, delegated the Easter Vigil to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, whose homily highlighted the 'divine light of the Resurrection.' Both Catholic and Orthodox communities observed Holy Saturday and Easter with symbolic acts such as scattering flower petals and passing candle flames, reflecting Christ's burial and resurrection. Clergy and commentators urged that Easter's messages of hope and reconciliation be embraced beyond the holiday, offering guidance for both personal devotion and communal healing in a world facing war and division. The central message across traditions remained the triumph of faith, love, and life over despair and death.