Pope greets Easter crowd, calls for tolerance

Pope Francis called for freedom of thought and tolerance in his Easter Sunday address, as the weakened pontiff delighted the crowds of Catholic faithful by making a much-hoped-for holiday appearance, even circling St Peter’s Square in a wheelchair.

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“Happy Easter to all,” a smiling 87-year-old Argentine pope in a white robe said from his wheelchair on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, to the great joy of the crowd in the flower-filled square below.

The pope’s convalescence from pneumonia has kept him away from most Holy Week events but Francis made a major effort on Sunday, waving at the crowd and blessing babies from his popemobile for nearly 15 minutes despite appearing fragile.