Pope Francis delivered his annual Easter message Sunday after leading Mass at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.

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In his “Urbi et Orbi” (“to the city and the world”) message, the pope asked for prayers for Syria; the Holy Land, Yemen and the Middle East; Africa; North and South Korea; Ukraine; and Venezuela.

The pope also prayed for children who "grow up without hope, lacking education and health care" and elderly people "who are cast off by a selfish culture," according to Catholic news site Crux.

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Understanding Good Friday

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez