Pope urges hope amid ‘darkness’ of pandemic in Easter vigil

Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Vigil (Remo Casilli/Pool photo/AP)

Pope Francis urged his coronavirus-weary flock to not lose hope even through the continued “dark months” of the pandemic, as he celebrated a scaled-back Easter vigil service in St Peter’s Basilica on Saturday.

Due to social-distancing, only about 200 masked people were allowed to attend the service, which marks the period between Christ’s crucifixion and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.