In his first Easter Vigil as Successor of Peter, Pope Leo XIV proclaimed forcefully that the Resurrection of Christ “drives out hatred” and opens paths of peace for humanity. In a celebration marked by light, the Baptism of ten catechumens, and the centrality of Saint Augustine’s thought, the Holy Father invited Christians to live the “alleluia” not only with their lips, but with their lives.
Pope Leo XIV’s first Easter Vigil
St. Peter’s Basilica hosted a celebration of special significance: the first Easter Vigil presided over by Pope Leo XIV. At the heart of the holy night, the Holy Father proclaimed with conviction the core of the Christian faith: Christ is risen, and his light transforms history.
From the beginning of the homily, drawing on the Easter Proclamation, the Pope set out the profound meaning of the celebration:
“This holy night […] drives out hatred, brings concord, and humbles the powerful.”
This is not merely a liturgical evocation. It is the affirmation that Easter is at work today, opening paths of reconciliation, overcoming evil, and generating communion.
The sign of the Paschal Candle—from which all receive light—expresses this truth: a single light that spreads and makes the Church a lamp for the world.
Saint Augustine at the centre: a faith that becomes life
At the heart of his preaching, Pope Leo XIV placed the teaching of Saint Augustine, which offers an essential key to understanding Easter:
“Singing with our lives the ‘alleluia’ that we proclaim with our lips.”
The Resurrection cannot remain within the realm of celebration. It must be translated into concrete life. The “alleluia” becomes existence.
The Holy Father also underscored the ecclesial dimension of the Paschal mystery with another expression from the Bishop of Hippo:
“Many men and one man alone; many Christians and one Christ alone.”
The Church is born of Easter as communion, as unity in Christ that embraces diversity.
And from that communion springs the mission:
“Proclaim Christ; sow […]. Spread the Gospel; what you have conceived in your heart.”
Three key points from the Pope’s homily
1. Easter as a new creation
The Pope proposes a reading of the entire history of salvation as a journey that culminates in the Resurrection. The same God who created the world “bringing cosmos out of chaos” now recreates humanity in Christ.
The Cross reveals God’s boundless love:
“Is there a greater charity, a more total gratuity?”
Easter is the definitive triumph of grace over sin.
2. God’s love conquers evil
In the Gospel account, the women at the tomb embody the faith that overcomes fear. There they discover that:
(…) God’s love is “stronger than any power of evil.”
The stone rolled away is the sign of this victory. No tomb can imprison the life that comes from God.
The risen Christ always opens up a new horizon.
3. A mission to transform the world
The Pope does not shy away from the reality of our time. He clearly points to today’s “tombs”:
“distrust, fear, selfishness and resentment”, (…) as well as “war, injustice and isolation among peoples and nations.”
In the face of these, Christians are called to act with the power of the Risen One, living and working with the grace of God.
Easter is a task: to roll away stones, build peace, and foster unity.
Ten newly baptised on Easter night
During this celebration, Pope Leo XIV administered Baptism to ten catechumens from different parts of the world, a visible sign of the Church’s universality and of Easter’s fruitfulness.
As he himself recalled:
“today they are reborn in Christ to be new creatures.”
These new Christians represent a Church that continues to be born, that is constantly renewed, and that finds in Easter its inexhaustible source of life.
Easter as a task for today
The first Easter Vigil of Pope Leo XIV was not only a solemn celebration, but a clear call to live the Paschal mystery in everyday life.
The Holy Father invited us not to let ourselves be paralysed by the “stones” weighing on our time, but to roll them away with the power of the Risen One, following the example of so many men and women who, throughout history, have opened paths of goodness.
At the centre remains Saint Augustine’s teaching: to live what we believe, to proclaim what we have received, to sing the Easter alleluia with our lives.
For only in this way can the light of Christ—kindled on the holy night—reach every corner of the world.
