VATICAN CITY: The growing worldwide violence led Pope Benedict XVI to appeal for peace in his Easter message delivered on Sunday. Sunday saw a beginning of a new wave of blasts within Nigeria.

The city of Kaduna witnessed a car bombing which claimed 20 lives, the blast occurred near a church. This was followed by another blast in the city of Jos, causing injuries to several people.

These blasts are deemed to be sectarian in nature and are considered to be against the Christian community.

The Christian community has come under a lot of violent pressure within Nigeria and this has all been blamed on an Islamic sect within the country. The sectarian violence within the country also resulted in the collapse of a church which claimed yet another 22 lives.

Addressing a crowd of over 100,000 people, the Pope condemned the sectarian violence in Nigeria. The Pope also addressed the issue of Syria and asked for an immediate end to the bloodshed and violence within the Arab country.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church also raised his voice of hope, saying that many of the refugees fleeing the worldwide violent crisis would receive help to relieve "their dreadful sufferings".

On Saturday, at least 130 people were killed in one of the bloodiest days since protests against Assad's regime which erupted in March last year. Pope encouraged the people of Iraq to "spare no effort in pursuing the path of stability and development".

He also urged Israelis and Palestinians to "courageously take up a new peace process". Pope Benedict also called for peace and stability in Mali as the military junta that seized power last month prepared to step down. Benedict also condemned against the violence in Nigeria near a Christian Church.

According to the news channel in Nigeria, 22 people were killed which included six children and 31 others were wounded. Pope urged for reconciliation and restoration of peace in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, Sudan and South Sudan, where deadly border violence has erupted.