Pope Francis delivered a message of hope in an Easter vigil on Saturday night to an almost empty St Peter's Basilica. 

With only a handful present in the basilica because of coronavirus restrictions, the Pope admitted that in the face of recent weeks, even "the boldest hope can dissipate".

But hope for the believer, he said, lies not in circumstances but in "the conviction that God is able to make everything work unto good". 

He suggested that this year, the world could relate all too well to the women in the Easter story. 

"They, like us, had before their eyes the drama of suffering, of an unexpected tragedy that happened all too suddenly. They had seen death and it weighed on their hearts," he said. 

In spite of this tragedy, they "did not stop loving", he continued.

"In the darkness of their hearts, they lit a flame of mercy," he said. 

"Jesus, like a seed buried in the ground, was about to make new life blossom in the world; and these women, by prayer and love, were helping to make that hope flower."

He went on to speak about the message of hope found in the meeting between the women and the risen Christ when dawn came. 

"Do not be afraid, do not yield to fear: This is the message of hope. It is addressed to us, today. These are the words that God repeats to us this very night," the Pope said. 

He distinguished between optimism and hope, saying that the latter was a "gift from God" and rooted in the resurrection. 

"Jesus' hope is different. He plants in our hearts the conviction that God is able to make everything work unto good, because even from the grave He brings life," he said. 

"He, who rolled away the stone that sealed the entrance of the tomb, can also remove the stones in our hearts....

"He did not abandon us; He visited us and entered into our situations of pain, anguish and death. His light dispelled the darkness of the tomb: today He wants that light to penetrate even to the darkest corners of our lives."

And just as Jesus went before His disciples to Galilee, the faithful can take courage in remembering that the Lord "goes before us", the Pope continued. 

"It is encouraging to know that He walks ahead of us in life and in death. He goes before us to Galilee, that is, to the place which for Him and His disciples evoked the idea of daily life, family and work," he said. 

"Jesus wants us to bring hope there, to our everyday life. For the disciples, Galilee was also the place of remembrance, for it was the place where they were first called. Returning to Galilee means remembering that we have been loved and called by God."

He ended with a call for an end to violence and abortion. 

"Let us silence the cries of death, no more wars!" he said.

"May we stop the production and trade of weapons, since we need bread, not guns. Let the abortion and killing of innocent lives end.

"May the hearts of those who have enough be open to filling the empty hands of those who do not have the bare necessities."

He concluded: "Today, as pilgrims in search of hope, we cling to you, Risen Jesus. We turn our backs on death and open our hearts to you, for you are life itself."