The ancient vigil ‘stretches across the centuries as a path of reconciliation and grace,’ the Pope said at the Vatican.
Pope Leo XIV at the Vaticanʼs Easter Vigil on April 4 described the ancient ceremony as “filled with light” and as the “mother of all vigils” where the faithful “relive the memorial of the victory of the Lord of life over death.”
“We do so after having traversed, over the past few days — as if in a single, grand celebration — the mysteries of the Passion of the God who, for our sake, became a man of sorrows: despised and rejected by men, tortured and crucified,” the Pope reflected.
At the vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope described the Risen Christ as “the very Creator of the universe who — just as he granted us existence out of nothing at the dawn of history — so too, upon the Cross, in order to demonstrate his boundless love for us, bestowed upon us the gift of life.”
Reflecting on the account of the Resurrection, Leo said: “On Easter morning, the women — overcoming their sorrow and fear — set out on their way. They wanted to go to Jesus’ tomb. They expected to find it sealed, with a large stone at the entrance and soldiers standing guard.”
He described that stone as representative of sin, “a massive barrier that shuts us in and separates us from God, seeking to stifle his words of hope within us.”
“Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, however, did not let themselves be intimidated,” he said. “They went to the tomb and, thanks to their faith and their love, became the first witnesses of the Resurrection.”
The Pope said Jesus’ message to the women — “Peace be with you” — is “also our message to the world.”
“Like the women who ran to bring the news to the brethren, we too wish to set out tonight from this Basilica, to carry to everyone the Good News that Jesus has risen, and that — through his power, having risen with him — we too can give birth to a new world of peace and unity.”
Addressing the catechumens receiving baptism during the vigil, the Pope described them as “reborn in Christ to become new creatures.”
“Even in our own day, there is no shortage of tombs that need opening; indeed, the stones sealing them are often so heavy and so heavily guarded that they seem immovable,” he said.
“Some of these stones weigh upon the human heart — such as mistrust, fear, selfishness, and resentment. Others — the consequences of those inner burdens — sever the bonds between us, such as war, injustice, and the closing off of peoples and nations from one another.”
“Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed by them!” the Pope said.
Pointing to the heroic work of the Christians of the past, the Pope urged the faithful to “be moved by their example.”
“And on this Holy Night, let us make their commitment our own, so that everywhere and always — throughout the world — the Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish,” he said.