Pope Francis after Palm Sunday Mass. (Getty Images)

Pope Francis after Palm Sunday Mass. (Getty Images) Credit: Pope Francis after Palm Sunday Mass. (Getty Images)

Pope Francis celebrated youth during his first Palm Sunday Mass to 250,000 inside St. Peter’s Square, initiating Holy Week with a speech on joy, sacrifice and hope.

“Never give way to discouragement, ours is not a joy that comes from having many possessions,” the pope said to Pilgrims carrying flags from all over the world, stressing the need to resist sadness in the face of hardship. “And please don’t let anyone rob you of hope.”

Meanwhile in New York, Vice President Joe Biden attended Palm Sunday Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral led by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, according to a White House official.

The two met following the Mass, the official said.
 

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