Pope's Easter Message

The 79-year-old pope made the appeal in his Easter "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message to tens of thousands
of people gathered in St. Peter's Square.

In the speech, televised to millions of viewers in 67 countries at the end of Easter Sunday mass, he expressed his worries about problems facing the world, particularly in the Middle East and Africa.

"How many wounds, how much suffering there is in the world. Natural calamities and human tragedies that cause innumerable victims and enormous material destruction are not lacking," Pope Benedict said.

"I am thinking of the scourge of hunger, of incurable diseases, of terrorism and kidnapping of people, of the thousand faces of violence which some people attempt to justify in the name of religion, of contempt for life, of the violation of human rights and the exploitation of persons."

Apprehension over plight of Africans

Resplendent in his gold vestments and mitre sparkling in the sun, the Pope said he was particularly pained by events and conditions in Africa.

"I look with apprehension at the conditions prevailing in several regions of Africa," in several parts of the world's poorest continent, notably Zimbabwe, Darfur and Somalia," the pontiff said.

He added that renewed fighting in Somalia had "driven away the prospect of peace and worsened a regional crisis."

"In Darfur and in the neighboring countries, there is a catastrophic, and, sadly to say, underestimated humanitarian situation," the pope said.

"Zimbabwe is in the grip of a grievous crisis, and for this reason the bishops of that country in a recent document indicated prayer and a shared commitment for the common good as the only way forward," he said.

"Nothing positive comes from Iraq"

In a rare mention, the pontiff also spoke out on Iraq, lamenting that "nothing positive comes from Iraq."

The country is "torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees," the pope said, appealing "to all those who hold in their hands the fate of Iraq, that there will be an end to the brutal violence that has brought so much bloodshed to the country, and that every one of its inhabitants will be safe to lead a normal life."

Easter Sunday saw a series of attacks in the Baghdad area that killed at least 20 people and wounded dozens, security officials said in the Iraqi capital.

The pope also lamented the "growing unrest and instability" in Afghanistan, which is bracing for a bloody spring offensive after a resurgent Taliban staged the most intensive year of fighting since they were ousted in 2001.

"Peace is sorely needed"

He condemned terrorism and the use of religion to justify a "thousand faces of violence."

"Peace is sorely needed," the pontiff said.

In another part of the speech, the pope said the Middle East's future was "put seriously in jeopardy" by political paralysis in Lebanon, where the government is challenged by an opposition that includes Hezbollah.

But he noted "some signs of hope in the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian authority." His comments followed the formation of a Palestinian unity government last month. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also said on Friday an Israeli soldier, abducted by Gaza militants 10 months ago in a cross-border raid, would be released soon.

The pope read the speech from the same central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica where he appeared to the world for the first time as pontiff after his election nearly two years ago.

"Finally, I cannot forget the difficulties faced daily by the Christian communities and the exodus of Christians from that blessed Land which is the cradle of our faith," he said.

Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday. This year all Christians, regardless of the calendar they follow, are celebrating Easter on the same day.