Easter sermons highlight hardship

The faithful gather in St. Peter's Square to mark Easter, one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar.

Easter commemorates the day Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead after his crucifixion and the Church sees it as a symbol of hope, peace and reconciliation among peoples and nations.

Pope Francis focuses on the poor.

(SOUNDBITE) (Italian) POPE FRANCIS SAYING:

"Help us to overcome the scourge of hunger, aggravated by conflicts and by the immense wastefulness for which we are often responsible."

In England the Archbishop of Canterbury uses his Easter sermon to highlight the plight of people living in war zones, and those in Britain facing economic problems.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY MOST REV JUSTIN WELBY, SAYING:

"In Syria mothers cry for their children and husbands, in the Ukraine neighbors cry because the future is precarious and dangerous. In Rwanda tears are still shed each day as the horror of genocide is r