Pope Francis calls for Gaza ceasefire as he leads Easter Mass following health concerns

Pope Francis presided over Easter Mass on Sunday amid growing concerns over the health of the 87-year-old pontiff.

Pope Francis called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in his traditional Easter message delivered following renewed concerns over the health of the 87-year-old pontiff. In the message, delivered in front of tens of thousands gathered at St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Francis addressed the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, condemning war as an “absurdity.” The Pope has been forced to skip recent events or limit his speaking due to poor health, but on Easter Sunday – the most important day in the Christian calendar – he delivered the “Urbi et Orbi” in full and appeared in good spirits, smiling and waving to the crowd. Francis had pulled out a Good Friday service at the last minute to “to preserve his health” for the rest of the weekend’s celebrations, according to the Vatican. The Pope has been leading Holy Week liturgies, presiding over five since Thursday, including an Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday which lasted more than two hours. Papal watchers have been closely monitoring the octogenarian’s well-being since last year, when he had an operation on his abdomen and was hospitalized with bronchitis.