Pope hits out at terror attacks in Turkey, Chad, Ivory Coast and Iraq - as well as Belgium - in Easter message
Francis gave his Easter sermon amid tight security at St Peter's Square
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Your support makes all the difference.Pope Francis has used his Easter sermon to urge the world to combat “blind and brutal violence” with “weapons of love” after a spate of terror attacks across the world.
The Pontiff delivered his Easter Sunday Mass to thousands gathered at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City amid tight security. He then gave his twice-yearly “Urbi et Orbi” which focused on violence, injustice and threats to peace in many parts of the world.
His address comes five days after suicide bombers killed 31 and injured 270 in attacks on Brussels Airport and a metro station.
Referring to recent terror attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Iraq, Francis urged people to channel the hope of Easter in order to defeat “the evil that seems to have the upper hand in the life of so many people”.
Francis also expressed hope that recent talks about the conflict in Syria could finally bring about a resolution after the “sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law and the breakdown of civil concord”.
He urged Europe “not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees - including many children - fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice".
The 79-year-old also called for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, and resolutions to conflicts and political tensions in Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Burundi, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Ukraine.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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