On Easter morning, tens of thousands of people congregated in St. Peter's Square to celebrate Mass with Pope Francis.

In his speech, he emphasized the significance of Easter as the day of Christ's resurrection, the most beautiful and significant day in history, according to Catholic News Agency. The Mass was attended by 31 cardinals, 15 bishops and 300 priests, who joined the pope in the celebration. 

“Jesus, the Living One, is with us, forever,” the pope said in a related April 9 tweet. “Let the Church and the world rejoice, for today our hopes no longer come up against the wall of death, for the Lord has built us a bridge to life.” 

During his Easter message, Francis prayed for an end to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and expressed his concern for Christians who are celebrating Easter in difficult circumstances, including the challenges faced by Christians in Nicaragua, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In accordance with tradition, Francis did not deliver a homily during the morning Mass. Instead, he bowed his head and observed a few moments of quiet contemplation following the chanting of the Gospel in both Latin and Greek.

Francis returned to the Vatican on April 1 after receiving treatment for bronchitis at a Rome hospital. Despite his recent health issues, he presided over a busy week of liturgies for Holy Week and Easter in both Rome and the Vatican. The pope adhered to his customary schedule, but did not attend the Good Friday Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum due to cold weather, according to Catholic News Agency.

For the 38th year in a row, Dutch flower growers sent 38,000 blooming bulbs to St. Peter's Square for Easter, including tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. The floral display also featured roses, anthurium, delphinium, chrysanthemums, azaleas, ivy and celosia, arranged by workers from the Netherlands and the Vatican, on the steps leading to the basilica, the area around the altar, and the church balcony.

"Yes, brothers and sisters, at Easter the destiny of the world was changed," Francis said, according to the USCCB. "And on this day, which also coincides with the most probable date of Christ's resurrection, we can rejoice to celebrate, by pure grace, the most important and beautiful day of history."