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Pope delivers Easter message
Pope Benedict XVI delivers his ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message and blessing from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the end of the Easter Mass on April 8, 2012 in Vatican City
The 84-year-old pope gave a shorter-than-usual blessing from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica after an outdoor Easter Mass attended by more than 100,000 people in a St Peter’s Square bedecked with yellow and white flowers. (Getty Images)
“May the risen Christ grant hope to the Middle East and enable all the ethnic, cultural and religious groups in that region to work together to advance the common good and respect for human rights,” he said. (Getty Images)
“Particularly in Syria, may there be an end to bloodshed and an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation, as called for by the international community,” he said, speaking to a festive crowd packed into the square and surrounding streets.(Getty Images)
There was no official explanation why his twice yearly “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) speech was shorter than in previous years but the pope, who turns 85 on April 16 and has appeared frail recently, looked drawn and tired at Sunday’s Mass.(Getty Images)
Easter Sunday, the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar, capped an intense period of recent activity for the pope, including a grueling trip to Mexico and Cuba late last month and five religious services this past week.(Getty Images)
As the pope spoke in Rome, Syrian troops pounded opposition areas, activists said, killing 74 civilians in an offensive that has sent thousands of refugees surging into Turkey before next week’s U.N.-backed ceasefire aimed at staunching a year of bloodshed.(Getty Images)
A peace plan formulated by U.N-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan calls for a truce to take effect early on Thursday if government forces begin pulling back from towns 48 hours earlier. Both sides have accused the other of intensifying assaults in the run-up to the truce.(Getty Images)
