VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has used his traditional Easter address to denounce as "scandalous" that warfare continues to rage and military arsenals are fattened around the world as the coronavirus pandemic causes social and economic suffering.
Francis tempered his world affairs speech on Easter Sunday with wishes of joy along with accounts of pain from the globe's many armed conflicts and other sources of violence.
He also appealed anew to the international community to overcome delays in distributing COVID-19 vaccines and to ensure supplies reach the poorest countries.
For the second Easter in a row, the pope read his address from inside St. Peter's Basilica instead of outdoors to discourage crowds in St. Peter's Square.
