Pope Francis Leads Easter Celebrations in Vatican

Pope Francis presided over Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square with over 45,000 pilgrims in attendance. He reflected on the surprise and joy of the women who visited the tomb where Jesus had been laid and found it empty. The Pope encouraged Christians to leave behind their sense of defeat and look with confidence to the future, for Christ is risen and has changed the direction of history. Despite spending three nights in the hospital for bronchitis, Pope Francis has presided over nearly every public engagement on his schedule during the Paschal Triduum.