Pope mourns victims of conflict and calls for ceasefire in Easter speech. Pope Francis gave a speech on the 31st to the assembled faithful from the balcony of St.
Peter's Basilica. "We must not overlook the serious consequences that fighting continues to have on civilians, especially children, who are already in extreme situations," he said. "It is not weapons that build peace, but those that are offered. "Hands and open hearts," Pope Francis said in a media interview published last month.