British Prime Minister David Cameron led calls for people to "stand together" and defend Christian values in the face of terror. The Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury joined in speaking of faith that light will overcome the darkness.
With Europe still reeling from the Brussels attacks, Cameron said: "The message of Easter is a message of hope for millions of Christians in our country and all around the world."
This hope can be witnessed every day in the faith-inspired projects that help the homeless, that get people into work, that help keep families together and offer homes to children in need," he said.
"We see that hope in the aid workers and volunteers who so often risk their own lives to save the lives of others in war-torn regions across the world. And at the heart of all these acts of kindness and courage is a set of values and beliefs that have helped to make our country what it is today."
British values of responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion and pride in working for the common good are Christian values, he continued. "They should give us the confidence to say yes, we are a Christian country and we are proud of it," he said. "But they are also values that speak to everyone in Britain – to people of every faith and none. And we must all stand together and defend them."
Cameron said: "When we see Christians today in 2016 being persecuted for their beliefs in other parts of the world – we must speak out and stand with those who bravely practise their faith."
The nation must never be cowed by terror.
"We must show that in this struggle of our generation we will defeat the pernicious ideology that is the root cause of this terrorism by standing up proudly for our values and our way of life."
Pope Francis said fear and darkness must not be allowed to control hearts. He warned that pessimism could imprison the world. In the wake of Brussels, it was so necessary to celebrate hope. He was speaking during the Easter Vigil service in Vatican City. Earlier, he condemned terrorist acts committed by the followers of some religions which "profane the name of God and which use the holy name to justify their unprecedented violence".
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby used his Easter Sunday sermon to warn against succumbing to fear. He described Brussels as a sign of a world "at war with itself, of faith at each other's throats".
He said: "Fear is reasonable, a normal human reaction. This week has shocked all of us, and risks causing us to act fearfully, to see a world in which fear triumphs. Easter proclaims to us in flesh and blood that fear and death and terror are not the last words. God has spoken life, hope and purpose."
