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Pope celebrates first Easter Mass Papal Easter Message urges peace
(about 3 hours later)
Pope Benedict XVI has celebrated the first Mass of Easter Sunday, the main Christian festival, by candle light in St Peter's Basilica. The Pope has called for renewed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in his traditional Easter message to the city of Rome and to the world.
The ceremony at the Vatican began in darkness as the Pope lit a single candle marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In a few weeks, Benedict XVI will be visiting the Middle East.
Thousands of pilgrims then lit individual candles and the huge basilica was flooded with light. Recalling his recent visit to Africa, he said the continent suffered disproportionately from cruel and often forgotten conflicts.
In his homily, Benedict explained the symbolism of light as an image of God. The Pope prayed for the tens of thousands of Italians who lost their homes in last week's earthquake.
The Church tries to help Catholics understand the resurrection of Christ in the language of symbols, the Pope said. "May the risen Christ grant them the wisdom and courage necessary to reconstruct their future in a spirit of hope," he said.
href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7995508.stm"> In pictures: Easter worldwide class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=6334&edition=1"> Send us your comments Africa suffers disproportionately from the cruel and unending conflicts, often forgotten, that are causing so much bloodshed Pope Benedict XVI href="/1/hi/world/europe/7995456.stm"> Quake survivors mark Easter
Later, he baptised five adults including three Italians, an American and a Chinese. At a time of world food shortages, of financial turmoil and of disturbing climate change, we all need hope, the Pope insisted.
After celebrating another morning Mass, this time in the open air in front of St Peter's, he will deliver his traditional Easter message to the city of Rome and to the world at midday. He called for peace and reconciliation in the Middle East and in Africa.
He is expected to refer to the plight of the tens of thousands of Italians made homeless by last week's earthquake in central Italy. Only through reconciliation, and through renewed effort can the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be resolved Pope Benedict stressed.
He plans to visit the earthquake zone after Easter. And he went on to plead for an end to the "conflicts that are causing so much bloodshed and destruction" in the African continent.
In May, Benedict, who will be 82 next month, plans to travel to Jordan and Israel on a pilgrimage to the land where Jesus Christ lived and died. Church membership is increasing faster in Africa than in any other part of the world.
Advertisement The Pope has recently visited the continent. It is clear that what he saw there deeply affected him.
Pope celebrates first Easter Mass