Rome, 9 April 2023 (dpa/MIA) - At the culmination of Easter celebrations, Pope Francis used his traditional Easter message in St Peter's Square for an urgent appeal for peace and offered the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" blessing.

"Let us hasten to follow paths of peace and fraternity," the head of the Catholic Church told some 100,000 faithful in the square in front of St Peter's Basilica on Sunday.

The wars and suffering in the world marked the entire Easter celebration at the Vatican. The pontiff called for "overcoming conflicts and divisions and opening our hearts to those most in need."

The 86-year-old appealed for trust - "trust between individuals, between peoples and nations" - on the Catholic Church's most important feast day. The message of Easter, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his death on the cross, should illuminate the darkness in which the world is often shrouded, the pontiff said.

Visibly moved, the pontiff reminded the faithful in St Peter's Square in particular of the war in Ukraine: "Help the beloved Ukrainian people on the road to peace, and pour your Paschal [Easter] light on the Russian people.

"Comfort the wounded and those who have lost loved ones to war, and let the prisoners return safely to their families."

He urged the international community to work to end this war and all conflicts that "stain the world with blood."

He also prayed for war-torn and crisis-ridden regions such as Lebanon, Haiti as well as South Sudan.

Photo: Vatican News website