Pope calls for global solidarity to confront 'epochal challenge' posed by coronavirus

Pope Francis in his traditional Easter address on Sunday delivered a message of hope calling for solidarity across the world to confront the "epochal challenge" posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Pope Francis celebrated Easter Mass in a largely empty St.Peter's Basilica in a ceremony that was livestreamed and was attended only by about two dozen people, including a handful of priests, a few altarboys and a small choir, reported Al Jazeera.

St Peter's Square in the Vatican, the venue where annually tens of thousands of people who would normally flock to hear the pope's mass followed by the noontime "Urbi et Orbi" speech and blessing "to the city and the world" was deserted due to a lockdown put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.

"The European Union is presently facing an epochal challenge, on which will depend not only its future but that of the whole world," the 83-year-old pontiff said in his address.

He recalled that Europe rose again after World War II, "thanks to a concrete spirit of solidarity that enabled it to overcome the rivalries of the past." "This is not a time for self-centredness, because the challenge we are facing is shared by all, without distinguishing between persons," he said.

On Saturday, the pope after the mass said "darkness and death do not have the last word" in the context of the pandemic that has infected more than 1.5 million people and killed more than 100, 000 people worldwide.

He added, "Over these weeks, we have kept repeating, 'All will be well,' clinging to the beauty of our humanity and allowing words of encouragement to rise up from our hearts. But as the days go by and fears grow, even the boldest hope can dissipate. Let us not give in to resignation ... We can and must hope,"

He also called upon all the warring parties to end the hostilities and work towards stopping the conflicts.

He said, ""Let us silence the cries of death, no more wars! May we stop the production and trade of weapons, since we need bread, not guns. Let the abortion and killing of innocent lives ended. May the hearts of those who have enough be open to filling the empty hands of those who do not have the bare necessities.