VATICAN CITY, April 15 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his first Easter vigil as pope Saturday night at St. Peter's Basilica.
Thousands of people prayed in the dark as the pope lit a single candle to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The light was passed from one candle to the next through the crowd until the huge basilica glowed with thousands of lights, the BBC reported.
Last year's Easter celebration was muted because Pope John Paul II was in what proved to be his final illness, with Benedict -- then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger -- taking his place at many of the traditional ceremonies.
On Sunday, the pope will celebrate the Easter mass in St. Peter's Square, followed by the traditional message from the Vatican balcony. This year Easter, the most important festival of the Christian year, falls on his 79th birthday.
This Easter season is also significant because it is the 500th anniversary of the start of construction on St. Peter's.
