Pope Francis marked Easter Sunday by making a brief appearance to bless thousands of people gathered for mass in St Peter's Square.

The 88-year-old pontiff, who is recovering from a severe bout of pneumonia, did not celebrate the mass himself, instead delegating the service to Cardinal Angelo Comastri.

When the mass ended, Francis appeared on the loggia balcony over the basilica entrance, prompting huge cheers from the crowd.

He said, 'Brothers and sisters, happy Easter!' and his voice sounded stronger than it has for weeks.

The crowd responded with a chant of 'Viva il Papa!' (Long live the Pope!).

Earlier in the day, Francis met with US Vice-President JD Vance at his residence to exchange Easter greetings.

Vance had met with the Vatican's secretary of state the previous day to discuss international conflicts and immigration.

The Vatican stated that the talks were cordial and expressed satisfaction with the administration's commitment to protecting freedom of religion and conscience.

In the traditional Urbi et Orbi message, which was read out on his behalf, Francis reminded Roman Catholics that Easter is a day of joyful resurrection, stressing the importance of using the holiday to 'revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands.' He also appealed to those in positions of political responsibility to use resources available to help the needy and promote development, rather than yielding to the logic of fear.

The Holy See has responded cautiously to the US administration's policies, expressing alarm over crackdowns on immigration and cuts to international aid, and calling for peaceful resolutions to wars in Ukraine and Gaza.