Catholics gather to hear Pope Francis give Easter Mass

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis on Sunday gave Easter Mass with tens of thousands of Catholics at Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City before his traditional blessing, as concerns persist over his health.

The 87-year-old arrived in a wheelchair to preside over the mass in cloudy and windy weather, with the events broadcast live around the globe.

Tens of thousands of Catholics gathered at Saint Peter's Square to hear Pope Francis give a traditional blessing.

Easter Sunday marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is the culmination of Holy Week, a major part of the Catholic calendar followed by 1.3 billion people.

The pope on Saturday presided over the Easter Vigil at the Vatican in front of some 6,000 people from around the world, a day after his last-minute cancellation at a major Good Friday procession revived questions about his health.

He delivered a 10-minute homily in Italian, speaking without any undue difficulty and condemning "the walls of selfishness and indifference" in the world.

At the end of the two-and-a-half-hour service he showed little sign of fatigue, taking time to greet and bless some of the worshippers.

In a brief statement Friday, the Vatican had said that "to preserve his health ahead of tomorrow's vigil and the Easter Sunday mass, Pope Francis will this evening follow the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum from the Santa Marta Residence", where he lives.

A Vatican source told AFP on Friday that there was "no particular concern" about his health, and that the decision to pull out had been "simply a measure of caution".