Pope condemns deadly attack on Syrian convoy in Easter message

'The resurrected Shepherd, ' he said, 'will seek those who are lost in the labyrinth of solitude and marginalization, those who are victims of old and new forms of slavery, inhuman work, illicit trafficking, exploitation, discrimination and serious dependencies.

Pope Francis has used his Easter address to condemn Saturday's deadly attack on a bus convoy in Syria and to denounce "oppressive regimes".

The ceremony, one of the most important in the Catholic tradition, symbolises the darkness after Jesus' crucifixion and the light that permeated the world with his resurrection. He concluded by praying in a special way for all those Christian communities that are persecuted and oppressed in different parts of the world today, saying they are called to give a particularly hard and courageous witness to the Easter message.

Tens of thousands of Catholics underwent massive security checks to gather in the Vatican for Pope Francis' Easter Sunday Mass.

The crowd size, cited by the Vatican security forces, was smaller in comparison to some other Easters, when about 100,000 turned out for the occasion.

Finally, taking his leave Pope Francis said, "may Jesus, who vanquished the darkness of sin and death, grant peace to our days".

Last Wednesday Pope Francis paid a visit to his predecessor Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who is 90 today (Sunday), according to the Vatican Press Office. - "He is truly risen, as he said!"

Potted hyacinths, tulips and daffodils, as well as bouquets of pink roses, were arranged in neat rows on the steps leading to the imposing church.

Easter "isn't a party with lots of flowers".

Those words are directed at us too, Pope Francis said, inviting us to go quickly and proclaim this message of joy and hope to the women and men of our day.