Ceremonies have been taking place across the world to mark the most important festival in the Christian calendar – Easter.
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Tens of thousands of worshippers have gathered in St Peter’s square to hear Pope Francis lead Easter Sunday Mass.
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Jesus was resurrected on Easter Sunday, the Bible says, days after dying on the cross on Good Friday. It is traditional for many to attend services on Saturday evening as well as on Sunday.
A day after pulling out of a ceremony at short notice, Pope Francis took part in a two-hour vigil at the Vatican on Saturday.
There had been renewed concern about his health when he did not participate in a Good Friday procession.
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But, the 87-year-old pontiff read a lengthy homily and carried out a number of baptisms.
Around the world, people celebrated Easter including in the Philippines where worshippers crowded to get a glimpse of the traditional procession.
ReutersCrowds gather on stairs for a traditional procession in the Philippines
In the capital Manila, children dressed as angels and prayed.
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Elsewhere, in Nairobi’s Kiberia district in Kenya, worshippers young and old joined together to light candles.
EPAPriests led the service in Nairobi next to a fire outside the church
ReutersA woman attends the Easter Sunday service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral Church of Pakistan, in Karachi
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Easter Sunday marks a major part of the Catholic calendar and is followed by 1.3 billion people around the globe.
At the St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, Sri Lanka, a Catholic priest gave Holy communions to Christian devotees.
Services have also been held across many European capitals, cities and towns.
ReutersArchbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, leads Easter Sunday Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City
ReutersA worshipper kisses a cross during an Easter vigil service at the Grand Immaculate Church in Al-Hamdaniya, Iraq
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