Tens of thousands of Christians braved a pelting rain in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square to celebrate mass with Pope Francis and listen to the traditional Easter message. It was a mostly downbeat message, with the pope making specific reference to the persecution of Christians around the world. Voice of America: Francis, after saying Mass for thousands of people in a rainy St. Peter's Square, delivered a mostly sombre and grim "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message. Attacks on Christians in Africa and the Middle East have been the grim backdrop of all Holy Week ceremonies leading up to Easter. "We ask Jesus, the victor over death, to lighten the sufferings of our many brothers and sisters who are persecuted for his name, and of all those who suffer injustice as a result of ongoing conflicts and violence - and there are many," he said. The pope spoke as churches in Kenya, where al-Shabab gunmen massacred nearly 150...(Read Full Post)