MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Pope celebrates Easter Day Mass

Thousands of pilgrims have packed into St Peter's Square in Rome to hear Pope Benedict XVI celebrate Easter Mass.

The Pope will later give his traditional "urbi et orbi" blessing to the world. The event is being broadcast live to 57 countries. Christians around the world are marking Easter, the holiest festival in their religious calendar, when they remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Late on Saturday, the Pope baptised a controversial, Muslim-born journalist. Magdi Allam, 55, is deputy director of the leading newspaper Corriere della Sera. Mr Allam has been an outspoken critic of Muslim militancy and a strong supporter of Israel. The Pope traditionally baptises newborns on 1 January and adult converts to Catholicism on Easter eve.