Regendans1d ago

Pope Leo XIV breaks tradition of acknowledging the Netherlands in first Easter address

Pope Leo XIV broke with long-standing Vatican tradition Sunday, omitting any reference to the Netherlands during his first Easter address and failing to acknowledge the country’s annual flower contribution to St. Peter’s Square.

Speaking to a packed St. Peter’s Square, Leo focused his message on global conflict and urged world leaders to “choose peace,” warning of growing public indifference to violence. “We are becoming accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it and growing indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people,” he said. He added that a “globalization of indifference” is spreading, echoing the language use of his predecessor, Franciscus.

The address marked a departure from a decades-long Easter tradition involving Dutch flower growers. For the 40th consecutive year, the Netherlands supplied about 65,000 tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths displayed in St. Peter’s Square.

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https://nltimes.nl/2026/04/05/pope-leo-xiv-breaks-tradition-acknowledging-netherlands-first-easter-address

#netherlands #tulips #pesticides #climate #ecosystems

Show threadRegendans1d ago

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The tradition began in 1986, following a visit to the Netherlands by Johannes Paulus II. His phrase “Bedankt voor de bloemen” (“Thank you for the flowers”) became a widely recognized expression and was repeated each year at later Easter celebrations. His successor, Benedictus XVI, continued the practice. Francis did not repeat the phrase but regularly thanked the Netherlands in Italian.

Leo avoided mentioning the flowers in Sunday’s address and did not include Dutch among the 10 languages used in his Easter greetings, which included Arabic, Polish, and English.

Show threadGerard van Oel 🍋
@regendans
So, what do wedo now, throw out all Roman Catholics?
Apr 5 at 4:26pmWeb
Show threadRegendans1d ago
@gevoel 😄 I guess prime minister Rob Jetten will visit the Pope soon for peace negotiation talks.
Show threadAndré Rodenburg1d ago
@regendans @gevoel Imagine the Pope choosing world peace over gratitude for a gift of flowers? The Netherlands should withdraw their embassy at the Holy See. It’ll be 1925 all over again.