Pope Francis surprised with statement during Easter Vigil

Pope Francis led the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and called on Catholics to learn from Jesus' female disciples the knowledge of the miracle of faith, world media report, according to the Patria news agency.

- During this night of vigil, we should reflect on the experience of Jesus' female disciples who also call to us, said the Pope, emphasizing that they were the first to go to Jesus' tomb and found it empty, while the men remained in the dining room of the Last Supper.

- Jesus' female disciples teach us about the miracle of Jesus' resurrection, he emphasized, and the mention of female disciples is unusual in the Italian language, as if the Pope wanted to insist on the role of women in the male-dominated Church.

The Easter Vigil Mass, which celebrates Jesus' resurrection, is the culmination of the Christian year for 1.2 billion Catholics.