Pope Francis made his final public appearance yesterday morning, when he greeted crowds gathered in St Peter's Square.
"Happy Easter", he said in a weak voice from his wheelchair at the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, to the delight of around 35,000 people in the flower-filled square.
The pope traditionally delivers his "Urbi et Orbi" ("To the City and the World") benediction from the balcony that overlooks St Peter's Square, but he gave that task to his Master of Ceremonies, Monsignor Diego Ravelli.
His address, read out, condemned "worrisome" anti-Semitism, and the "deplorable" situation in Gaza.
In the reading of the Easter text, the pontiff called a growing climate of anti-Semitism around the world "worrisome", while also condemning the war in Gaza and reiterating his call for a ceasefire.
"I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation," read the address.
The Pope later made a surprise tour of St Peter's Square in his popemobile, waving occasionally from his vehicle.
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Earlier that day, he had a private meeting at the Vatican with US Vice President JD Vance.
Mr Vance, a Catholic who has clashed with the pontiff over the Trump administration's immigration policies, met with Pope Francis at his Vatican residence to exchange Easter greetings.
This morning, Mr Vance said that his "heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him".
"I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill," the US Vice President said on a social media post.
"May God rest his soul."
