‘Bring everyone the good news that Jesus is risen,’ Pope Leo preaches at Easter Vigil Mass

April 04, 2026

Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica tonight (booklet, video) and called on the faithful to “bring everyone the good news that Jesus is risen.”

Six thousand people were present in the basilica, with an addition 4,000 watching on screens in St. Peter’s Square.

“This, dear friends, is a Vigil full of light, the oldest in the Christian tradition, called the ‘mother of all vigils,’“ Pope Leo preached. “In it we relive the memorial of the Lord of life’s victory over death and hell.”

The Pope continued:

We do so after having traveled, in recent days, as in a single great celebration, through the mysteries of the Passion of God made for us “man of sorrows” (Is 53:3), “despised and rejected by men” (ibid.), tortured and crucified.

Is there a greater charity? A more total gratuitiousness? The Risen One is the same Creator of the universe who, just as at the dawn of history gave us existence from nothing, so on the cross, to show us his limitless love, he gave us life.

After reflecting on the Scripture readings, Pope Leo said that “like the women who ran to make the announcement to their brothers and sisters, we too want to leave this Basilica tonight to bring everyone the good news that Jesus is risen and that with his strength, risen with him, we too can give life to a new world of peace, of unity.”

The Pope concluded:

Sisters, brothers, even in our day there is no lack of tombs to be opened, and often the stones that close them are so heavy and well guarded that they seem immovable.

Some oppress man in the heart, such as distrust, fear, selfishness, resentment; others, a consequence of the inner ones, break the bonds between us, such as war, injustice, closure between peoples and nations. Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed!

Many men and women, down the centuries, with God’s help, have rolled them away, perhaps with great effort, sometimes at the cost of their lives, but with fruits of good from which we still benefit today. They are not unattainable characters, but people like us ... Let us allow ourselves to be moved by their example and on this Holy Night let us make their commitment our own, so that everywhere and always, in the world, the Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish.

The Pontiff celebrated the Mass in Italian, with Latin chants. Ten catechumens were baptized and confirmed during the Easter Vigil: five from the Diocese of Rome, one from Korea, two from Great Britain, and two from Portugal.

 

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Further information:

• Easter Sunday “Resurrection of the Lord” – Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 4/4/26)
• Leone XIV alla veglia pasquale: Gesù è risorto, diamo vita a un mondo nuovo, di pace e unità (Vatican News, 4/4/26)