Pope Francis leads the Easter vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica with no public participation due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Vatican, April 11, 2020. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/Pool
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis urged people to "not yield to fear" and focused on a "message of hope" as he led an Easter eve Mass in an empty St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic and called for an end to wars.
The vigil, which normally takes place in a church packed with about 10,000 people, was attended by only about two dozen, including a few altar servers and a smaller-than-usual choir. Because of the coronavirus outbreak, it was scaled back to eliminate several traditional features, such as the baptism of adult converts and a long procession up the main aisle of Christendom's largest church.
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