Francis, pope since 2013, nearly died during his five-week bout with double pneumonia. He also skipped the Colosseum event, which often takes place in cooler Spring weather, in 2023 and 2024.
The Vatican said Francis had personally written the meditations for the ceremony this year, for the second time in his 12-year papacy.
The reflections, each starting with a brief Bible reading, were short and addressed themes including war, economic difficulties, and the place of women in the Catholic Church.
The Vatican has not yet said whether Francis will attend other Easter services over the weekend.
The pope also skipped an earlier ceremony at the Vatican on Thursday. US Vice President JD Vance and his family, visiting Italy for Easter, were among attendees at that event.
