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In his Easter address, Pope Francis called for access to coronavirus vaccines for all people and called it scandalous that wars and conflicts are being waged in many parts of the world even during the pandemic.

Vaccines are an "important tool" in the fight against the pandemic, said Francis.

He appealed to the "spirit of global accountability" to overcome delays in their distribution "especially in the poorest countries".

"Everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us, needs support and has the right to access the care they need."

The Pope expressed outrage that there was so much war and violence in many parts of the world in the pandemic.

“The pandemic is still spreading while the social and economic crisis remains serious, especially for the poor.

Nevertheless - and this is scandalous - armed conflicts have not stopped, military arsenals are being strengthened, ”said Francis.

"This is today's scandal."

Among other things, war is actively being waged in eastern Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen and between Sudan and Ethiopia, including in the corona pandemic.

The civil war in Syria is also continuing.

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Only 200 believers were allowed to attend the Easter mass in St. Peter's Basilica because of the corona requirements.

In his one-hour address with the traditional blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (“The city and the world”), the Pope wove situation reports on the suffering in many conflict areas around the world.

Pope addresses the people in Myanmar

He mentioned Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, which is plagued by violent protests and internal political conflicts and a recent attempted coup.

Francis encouraged young people in Myanmar who campaigned for democracy and made their voices heard in peace.

It was only on Sunday that demonstrators took to the streets with colored Easter eggs against the military coup on February 1.

The head of the church also thanked Lebanon and Jordan for accepting war refugees from Syria.

May "finally peace come to those millions who lived under inhumane conditions," he pleaded.

He also prayed for an end to the conflicts in Yemen and Libya.

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Francis also lamented violence and terrorism in the Sahel and parts of Nigeria.

Mention was also made of the war in the Ethiopian province of Tigray and the bloody fight against rebels for a city in the province of Cabo Delgado in Mozambique.

The Pope also prayed for the safe return of prisoners in the conflicts in eastern Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh.

In normal years, the top Catholic speaks from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in front of tens of thousands of pilgrims on St.

This year is the second in which the churches had to make major restrictions at Easter due to the pandemic.

Francis specifically mentioned this before giving the Urbi et Orbi blessing.