Pope Francis on Sunday (April 1st) called for an end to "carnage" in Syria and "reconciliation" in the Middle East in his traditional Easter message, AFP reported.
"Today we implore fruits of peace upon the entire world, beginning with the beloved and long-suffering land of Syria," he said, as 80,000 listened in St Peter's Square and millions watched the speech broadcast live around the world.
Appealing to the "consciences of all political and military leaders", Francis urged "that a swift end may be brought to the carnage" in Syria.
The head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics asked that "provisions be made to facilitate access to the aid so urgently needed by our brothers and sisters, while also ensuring fitting conditions for the return of the displaced" to Syria.
