Later shared touching photograph on photo-sharing app Instagram, which he joined up to earlier this month

Earlier in the day, the Pope lay prostrate in prayer at Good Friday service in the Vatican City


Pope Francis has criticised Europe's 'indifferent and anaesthetised conscience' over migrants in a stirring Good Friday address in Rome.

'O Cross of Christ, today we see you in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas which have become insatiable cemeteries, reflections of our indifferent and anaesthetised conscience,' the 79-year old pontiff said, referring to the thousands who set off in unseaworthy boats to reach Greece and the rest of Europe.

In a wide-ranging diatribe in Rome's historic Colosseum, he also raged against the ills within the Church, fiercely denouncing paedophile priests, those 'unfaithful ministers who, instead of stripping themselves of their own vain ambitions, divest even the innocent of their dignity'.

Francis has long called for the global community to open its doors to refugees and fight xenophobia - appeals which have intensified since a controversial deal between Europe and Turkey to expel migrants arriving in Greece.

The address came after Francis led thousands of Catholics through the streets of Rome as part of the Via Circus torchlit procession.

Pope Francis has criticised Europe's 'indifferent and anaesthetised conscience' over migrants in a stirring Good Friday address in Rome

In a wide-ranging diatribe he also raged against the ills within the Church, fiercely denouncing paedophile priests

The pontiff led thousands through the Via Circus procession at the famous ampitheatre in the centre of Rome

Francis' words came at the end of a busy Good Friday for the pontiff. Earlier today, he lay prostrate on the floor in St Peter's Basilica to pray on Good Friday - before sharing a photo of himself kissing a crucifix on Instagram.

The 79-year-old pontiff was helped to the ground of the ornate church by two clergymen, and lay on a tapestried rug, with just a red cushion to support his head.

He lay on his front to pray for some minutes during his leading of the Celebration of the Lord's Passion service in the church.

Many other Catholic officials, mostly dressed in black, sat in their seats to pray with Pope Francis in the centuries-old building.

Pope Francis lay prostrate on the floor in St Peter's Basilica today to pray on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar

The pontiff lay on an ornate tapestry rug, with just a red cushion to support his head

The 79-year-old pontiff was helped to the floor by two other clergymen in the basilica

The pope gently lowered himself onto the rug, where he lay in prayer for several moments

Hundreds of Roman Catholics joined the Pope in prayer in the centuries-old basilica in the heart of the Vatican

The pontiff shared a photo on picture app Instagram which showed him kissing a crucifix

The pontiff later sent a Good Friday tweet which read: 'The Cross is the word through which God has responded to evil in the world'

According the Catholic Liturgical Library, the Celebration of the Lord's Passion happens every Good Friday close to three o'clock - the time Christians believe Jesus died.

The ceremony at St Peter's Basilica began at 5pm. Good Friday is the one day of the year Roman Catholics do not offer Mass.

Pope Francis wore a red cape on top of his robes, and removed his zucchetto cap to pray in the beautifully ornate basilica.

Pope Francis led the Good Friday service tonight at Rome's famous Colosseum

Dozens of Rome's nuns held candles to mark the Good Friday service at the Colosseum

Later, he began to lead the crowd of thousands to the Colosseum.

Tens of thousands of faithful bearing candles prayed at the Easter ritual, where they and Pope Francis were told of the suffering of rejected migrants, sexually abused children and slaves.

Security was tight at the former gladiator battle ground, where a small group of believers carried a cross between 14 'stations' evoking the last hours of Jesus's life during the traditional Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession.

Francis sat under a red canopy next to a large cross as he listened gravely to a lengthy meditation written by Italian Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti.

Security was tight at the former gladiator battle ground, where a small group of believers carried a cross between 14 'stations' evoking the last hours of Jesus's life

Francis sat under a red canopy next to a large cross as he listened gravely to a lengthy meditation written by Italian Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti

Two Syrians were joined by fellow Russian, Chinese, and Central African believers in carrying the wooden cross at the historic arena, where thousands of Christians are believed to have been killed in Roman times.



Earlier on Friday, the Pope shared a touching photograph of himself kissing a crucifix to mark the importance of Good Friday in the Christian calendar. The picture was not captioned but already has over 101,000 likes on the photo-sharing service.

He posted another photo of himself next to a crucifix this morning, captioned 'The commemoration of a drama of love which gives us the certainty that we will never be abandoned.'

This Sunday will mark the pontiff's third Easter since he became Pope in 2013, and he has already marked Holy Week in his customarily humble way.

On Maundy Thursday he washed and kissed the feet of Muslim, Hindu and Christian refugees Castelnuovo di Porto refugees centre 18 miles from Rome.

The Maundy Thursday rite re-enacts the foot-washing ritual Jesus Christ performed on his apostles before being crucified 2,000 years ago.

And the Pope even took time to take one of his famous selfies with a fan at the refugee centre.

Francis' words tonight will resonate with many of the Catholic church's critics.

The Church continues to be dogged by cases of predator priests and past cover-ups. Just this month a French cardinal faced calls to resign over allegations he promoted a cleric who had a previous conviction for sexual abuse.

In the wake of this week's deadly attacks in Brussels, Francis slammed "terrorist acts committed by followers of some religions which profane the name of God and which use the holy name to justify their unprecedented violence".

The pope added that 'arms dealers who feed the cauldron of war with the innocent blood of our brothers and sisters' and he raged against 'traitors who, for thirty pieces of silver, would consign anyone to death'.

Earlier today he shared an Instagram post of himself next to a crucifix captioned: 'The commemoration of a drama of love which gives us the certainty that we will never be abandoned'

On Maundy Thursday Francis washed and kissed the feet of Muslim, Hindu and Christian refugees Castelnuovo di Porto refugees centre 18 miles from Rome

The Maundy Thursday rite re-enacts the foot-washing ritual Jesus Christ performed on his apostles before being crucified 2,000 years ago.