Via Crucis ceremony to take place at Colosseum on Good Friday.

Papal events including the pope's weekly general audience are set to resume in Piazza S. Pietro after more than two years as Italy begins to lift its covid-19 restrictions on 1 April. 

Since the start of the covid pandemic in early 2020 the Vatican has held the general audience indoors in the Paul VI auditorium or outdoors in the more intimate S. Damaso courtyard.

The first major papal event to take place once again in St Peter's Square will be the Palm Sunday Mass on 10 April at 10.00.

• Pope prays for end to coronavirus in empty St Peter's Square

As part of the Vatican's Easter liturgical programme, the Via Crucis or Way of the Cross ceremony led by Pope Francis will also return to the Colosseum on Good Friday, for the first time since 2019.

The solemn torch-lit procession will be held at 21.15 on 15 April.

The Easter Vigil Mass will take place in St Peter's Basilica at 19.30 on Saturday 16 April, while Easter Sunday Mass will be celebrated in St Peter's Square at 10.00 on 17 April.

The pope will impart his traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing from the balcony over St Peter's at midday on Easter Sunday.

Photo credit: Riccardo De Luca - Update / Shutterstock.com.