Benedict XVI, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has led his first Easter Mass since becoming pope. In his historic speech he called for worldwide governments to find peaceful resolutions to their crises. In particular, the Pope placed a great emphasis on the world tackling terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

|PIC1|In addition the Pope spoke about poverty in Africa, and highlighted the Darfur region of Sudan.

Attending the Easter Mass were tens of thousands of pilgrims, and they filled St Peter’s Square on Sunday as the Pope declared “Let us offer each other a sign of peace”.

The Mass was broadcast across to 65 nations around the world, as millions celebrated the resurrection of Jesus after His crucifixion on Good Friday.

Pope Benedict fulfilled the tradition to deliver the “Urbi et Orbi” speech, which is Latin for “to the city and to the world”, as he blessed and gave greetings in over a dozen different languages.

Towards Africa, Pope Benedict said, “May the spirit of the Risen One, in particular, bring relief and security in Africa to the peoples of Darfur (Sudan) who are living in a dramatic humanitarian situation that is no longer sustainable.”

He also said, “In Iraq, may peace finally prevail over the tragic violence that continues mercilessly to claim victims.

|AD|“I also pray sincerely that those caught up in the conflict in the Holy Land may find peace. And I invite all to patient and persevering dialogue in the Holy Land so as to remove both ancient and new obstacles, avoiding the temptations to revenge. And may they educate the new generations to mutual respect.

“May the international community, which reaffirms Israel's just right to exist in peace assist the Palestinian people to overcome the precarious conditions in which they live, and to build their future, moving toward the constitution of a state that is truly their own.”

Pope Benedict added: “May an honourable solution be found for all parties through serious and honest negotiations, and may the leaders of nations and international organizations be strengthened in their will to achieve peaceful coexistence among different races, cultures and religions, in order to remove the threat of terrorism.”

During the service, the pope also baptised seven people, as he stated that it was a rite tat was more than a simple washing or purification of the soul.

”It is truly the death and resurrection, rebirth, transformation into a new life,” he said.