International
The pope presided over the Vigil and remembered the peoples destroyed by evil and injustice
Pope Francis presided over the Mass of the Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica this Saturday, after renouncing the Via Crucis of the Colosseum to take care of his health, and in the homily he asked “that despair be removed” for “the peoples destroyed by evil and beaten by injustice.”
In this long celebration of more than two hours, in which the wait for the resurrection of Jesus is commemorated, the pope participated in all the rites and read in a good voice, after this Friday he decided at the last minute not to go to the Colosseum for the Way of the Cross.
In the homily he referred to “that sometimes we feel that a tombstone has been placed heavily in the entrance of our heart, suffocating life, extinguishing trust, enclosing ourselves in the tomb of fears and bitterness.”
The pope called them the “pitfalls of death” and said that “they are all the experiences and situations that rob us of the enthusiasm and the strength to move forward.”
And among them he cited “the deaths of our loved ones, which leave in us voids impossible to fill; in failures,” “the walls of selfishness and indifference, which repel the commitment to build cities and societies more just and dignified for man” and “all the longings for peace broken by the cruelty of hatred and the ferocity of war.”
The pope then assured that “Jesus is our Easter, the one who makes us move from darkness to light, who has joined us forever and saves us from the abyss of sin and death, drawing us towards the luminous impetus of forgiveness and eternal life.
Francis then went to the “peoples destroyed by evil and beaten by injustice, landless peoples, martyr peoples” to move away “this night the singers of despair.”
The ceremony, one of the longest in the tradition and full of symbolism, began with the blessing of the fire in the atrium of the basilica and the lighting of the Easter candle. The pope marked the candle with the inscription of the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet – alpha and omega – that symbolize that God is the beginning and the end in a totally dark basilica.
Then the traditional procession took place with the entry of the concelebrants in total silence and in the dark and only with the candles lit to represent the absence of light after the death of Jesus Christ.
Only after the deacon pronounced the phrase ‘Lumen Christi’ (The light of Christ) three times did the lights of the basilica turn on and the mass began before 6,000 faithful.
This long ceremony follows the tradition of the first years of the Church, that of the catechumens, the adults who aspired to convert to Christianity and, therefore, the blessing of water was also celebrated, and Francis baptized eight adults of different nationalities: four Italians, two Koreans, one Japanese and an Albanian.
In this Vatican Holy Week, it has not been possible to enjoy the presence behind the altar of the imposing baldaquin of San Pedro by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, since it remains covered since a restoration is being carried out in view of next year’s Jubilee.
The pope decided this Friday at the last minute not to go to the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum to “safeguard his health” since in recent days he has been suffering from respiratory problems while both today’s ceremony and Sunday’s Resurrection Mass were confirmed.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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