VATICAN CITY
Nearly 200,000 Christians from different nations gathered on Sunday at St. Peter Basilica in Vatican to celebrate the Easter Sunday, the day they believe Jesus resurrected from the dead.
After leading the ceremony, Pope Francis addressed his traditional blessing to the believers and prayed for peace in the world.
He also prayed for dialogue in the world's violence-stricken regions including Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and Palestine.
“He rose. This event is the foundation of our faith and our hope. If Jesus had not risen, Christianity would have lost its meaning,” the Pope said.
The Easter day has also been commemorated in the Fener Greek Patriarchate in Istanbul, where many Orthodox Christians living in Turkey participated in the ceremony held at the Hagia Georgi Church, led by Patriarch Bartholomew.
On Easter Sunday, the holiest day in Christian calendar, Catholic and Orthodox Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus came back to life three days after his crucifixion.
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