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
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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