Pope denounces terrorism and hostility to refugees in Easter Sunday message

Pope Francis tempered his Easter Sunday message of Christian hope with a denunciation of “blind” terrorism, recalling victims of attacks in Europe, Africa, and elsewhere, as well as expressing dismay that people fleeing war or poverty are being denied a welcome, as European countries squabble over the refugee crisis.

Tens of thousands of people patiently endured long lines, backpack inspections, and metal-detecting checks on Sunday to enter St Peter’s Square. Under a brilliant sun, they listened to Francis deliver the traditional noon Easter speech from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.

To their delight, Francis completed a whirl through the square, which was made colourful with sprays of tulips and other spring flowers, in his open-topped pope-mobile, after celebrating mass on the steps of the basilica. He leaned over barriers to shake hands, as the vehicle ventured past the Vatican’s confines, with his bodyguards jogging alongside on the boulevard.