This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21986185
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Pope Francis to lead Easter celebrations at St Peter's | Pope Francis to lead Easter celebrations at St Peter's |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Pope Francis is set to celebrate his first Easter Sunday since his election with an open-air Mass in St Peter's Square. | Pope Francis is set to celebrate his first Easter Sunday since his election with an open-air Mass in St Peter's Square. |
| He will then deliver a speech to Rome and to the world - the "Urbi et Orbi" address - from a balcony of St Peter's. | He will then deliver a speech to Rome and to the world - the "Urbi et Orbi" address - from a balcony of St Peter's. |
| Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. | Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. |
| At an Easter vigil Mass in St Peter's, the Pope appealed to non-believers and lapsed Catholics to "step forward" towards God. | At an Easter vigil Mass in St Peter's, the Pope appealed to non-believers and lapsed Catholics to "step forward" towards God. |
| "Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward," Pope Francis said. | "Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward," Pope Francis said. |
| "He will receive you with open arms." | "He will receive you with open arms." |
| At the start of the service, the basilica was kept dark to signify Jesus' tomb before what Christians believe was his resurrection. The Pope and the congregation held candles. | At the start of the service, the basilica was kept dark to signify Jesus' tomb before what Christians believe was his resurrection. The Pope and the congregation held candles. |
| The service was shorter than usual, which the Vatican said was in line with Francis' preference for shorter Masses. | The service was shorter than usual, which the Vatican said was in line with Francis' preference for shorter Masses. |
| Surprised clerics | Surprised clerics |
| The Pope, formerly Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected on 13 March. | The Pope, formerly Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected on 13 March. |
| He is the first non-European pope for almost 1,300 years. | He is the first non-European pope for almost 1,300 years. |
| The BBC's David Willey reports from Rome that the 76-year-old has already set a new style at the Vatican, shortening religious services, reaching out easily to ordinary people, and expressing his thoughts in a conversational way that is easy to understand. | The BBC's David Willey reports from Rome that the 76-year-old has already set a new style at the Vatican, shortening religious services, reaching out easily to ordinary people, and expressing his thoughts in a conversational way that is easy to understand. |
| He has surprised many of the clerics who work at the Vatican, eating in a communal dining room with other priests and clearly finding much traditional Vatican ceremonial tedious, our correspondent says. | He has surprised many of the clerics who work at the Vatican, eating in a communal dining room with other priests and clearly finding much traditional Vatican ceremonial tedious, our correspondent says. |
| Rather than moving into grand papal apartments, Pope Francis has remained in a Vatican guesthouse, where he has been inviting ordinary people to morning Mass. | Rather than moving into grand papal apartments, Pope Francis has remained in a Vatican guesthouse, where he has been inviting ordinary people to morning Mass. |
| In the days before Easter, the Pope reached out to women and Muslims. | In the days before Easter, the Pope reached out to women and Muslims. |
| During a Holy Thursday Mass at a youth detention centre he washed and kissed the feet of 12 people, including two girls and two Muslims, and in a Good Friday procession referred to the "friendship of our Muslim brothers and sisters" in the Middle East. |