Pope urges world to unite to face pandemic

Vatican City : Pope Francis dedicated his Easter Sunday message to everyone affected by the coronavirus pandemic saying "the whole world is suffering and must be united to face it".

From an empty St Peter's Basilica, with no banner hanging from the balcony and no faithful in the square due to Italy's lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, Francis on Sunday delivered his Easter message, reports Efe news.

"For many, this is an Easter of solitude, lived amid the sorrow and hardship that the pandemic is causing, from physical suffering to economic difficulties," he said.

After a sober Easter Mass, millions of people tuned in to watch the pontiff deliver the traditional Easter Urbi et Orbi blessing to the world where he urged the faithful to come together against indifference, self-centredness, division and forgetfulness.

The pontiff called his message a "contagion of hope" to be transmitted from heart to heart. The Pope also called for "an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world" and called for a solution to ongoing conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon.