Pope Francis delivers his traditional Easter message “Urbi et Orbi” to the city and the world, emphasizing how today we celebrate the event that gives us hope that does not disappoint: “Jesus who was crucified has risen.”
By Vatican News staff writer
All over the world, the Church proclaims the joyful news that “Jesus, who was crucified, has risen as he said. Hallelujah! ”Pope Francis said at the beginning of his Easter message broadcast live around the world.
He delivered his The city and the world message in St. Peter’s Basilica, just like last year, due to coronavirus security measures.
He had just concluded by presiding over the Easter Sunday Mass at the altar of the chair with a small congregation participating. The basilica featured arrays of avalanche roses donated by Dutch florists who traditionally filled St. Peter’s Square with flowers every Easter, but had to be temporarily halted due to the pandemic.
The Easter reality of the Resurrection offers a concrete, tangible hope and consolation, the Pope pointed out, but his message does not offer us “a mirage or reveal a magical formula” that we could wish for as an escape from the difficult realities. Of the world.
Among them, the spread of the pandemic, social and economic crisis that especially affected the poor, but also noted the “scandalous” fact that “armed conflicts are not over and military arsenals are being strengthened.”
I hope this does not disappoint
Easter’s message of hope tells us concisely that “Jesus crucified, none other, has risen from the dead,” said Pope Francis, adding that God the Father raised Jesus, who fulfilled his saving will by taking about whether our weakness, our weaknesses, the weight of our sins, even our death. That is why the Pope said: “God the Father has exalted him and now Jesus Christ lives forever; He is the Lord.
The wounds Jesus carries on his hands, feet, and sides are “the eternal seal of his love for us,” the pope noted, and all who experience trials in body or spirit can find refuge in them and “receive the grace of hope that does not disappoint. “
Hope and solidarity in times of pandemic
Pope Francis went on to say that the risen Christ gives hope and comfort to those who suffer from the pandemic, the sick and those who have lost a loved one. He also prayed that the Lord could “sustain the courageous efforts of doctors and nurses.”
He stressed that everyone, especially the vulnerable, needs help and has the right to care, and that vaccines are essential. He appealed to the international community “to commit to overcoming delays in the distribution of vaccines and to facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries.”
The risen Lord is comfort to the unemployed and those suffering financial hardship, the Pope said. He prayed that Christ could “inspire public authorities to act so that everyone, especially families in greatest need,” can receive help to avoid falling into poverty, a sad reality that the pandemic has dramatically worsened.
The Pope also referred to the psychological weight of the pandemic on young people, who are often forced to stay home without attending school or visiting friends in person. He expressed his “closeness to young people around the world.”
Hope it brings peace to our world
Quoting St. John Paul II when he visited Haiti, “the poor of all kinds must start waiting again,” he said as his thoughts also turned to the “beloved Haitian people,” and urged them to “look to the future.” with confidence and hope “. “, and do not be overwhelmed by the current difficulties. He stressed their proximity to them and that their problems can be solved definitively.
Pope Francis prayed for the youth of Myanmar “committed to supporting democracy and making their voices heard peacefully,” so that “hatred can only be dispelled with love.”
He reminded migrants fleeing war and extreme poverty and that the “light of the risen Jesus would be a source of rebirth” for them, as we see in them the “face of the Lord deteriorated and suffered” on the way to Calvary. This requires concrete signs of solidarity and human brotherhood “on the part of all,” he said, thanking the nations that receive those seeking refuge, citing Lebanon and Jordan that have welcomed so many refugees fleeing violence in the neighborhood. Syria.
He prayed that the people of Lebanon would “find the support of the international community” in these difficult times and persevere in being “a land of encounter, coexistence and pluralism.”
And “may Christ, our peace,” stop the clash of arms in “beloved and devastated Syria,” the Pope stressed, where millions suffer.
He also noted the “deafening and outrageous silence” regarding suffering in Yemen.
Looking toward the nation of Libya, he signaled hopes that there will finally be an end to the decade of bloodshed and unrest. In all these lands, he encouraged all parties involved to “commit” to ending these conflicts and allowing “war-weary peoples to live in peace” and rebuild their lives and communities.
Living as brothers and sisters
The Resurrection brings us to Jerusalem, the Pope said, where “we ask the Lord to grant peace and security,” so that he may “welcome his vocation” to be a place where “all can see one another as brothers and sisters “”. He encouraged Israelis and Palestinians to “rediscover the power of dialogue,” so that a solution can be found to “allow the two states to live side by side in peace and prosperity.”
Pope Francis also recalled his visit to Iraq last month and prayed that the nation would continue the “path to peace” and “fulfill God’s dream of a hospitable and welcoming human family for all its children.” “.
Overcome the mentality of war
The Pope’s thoughts were directed to Africa, especially to places suffering from internal violence and international terrorism in areas of the Sahel, Nigeria, Tigray and the Cape Delgado region of Mozambique, and prayed that conflicts could be resolved peacefully through the “dialogue with a spirit of reconciliation”. and true solidarity ”.
The Pope lamented that there were too many wars and too much violence in our world. He prayed, “May the Lord, who is our peace, help us to overcome the mentality of war.”
He added that prisoners of conflict in eastern Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh could be released, and that the arms race could be halted. He recalled that on Sunday, April 4, International Anti-Personnel Landmine Awareness Day is celebrated and said that these “insidious and horrible devices” kill or mutilate many innocent people every year. He also stressed “how much better our world would be without these instruments of death!”
Healed by the wounds of Christ
In conclusion, Pope Francis acknowledged how in so many places Christians have celebrated Easter under severe restrictions, sometimes without being able to attend liturgical celebrations. He prayed that these, and all restrictions on freedom of worship and religion throughout the world, might be lifted so that all could pray and praise God freely.
In the midst of these many difficulties, the Pope said, we must always remember that “we have been healed by the wounds of Christ” and, in the light of the risen Lord, “our sufferings are now transfigured … where he had died.” , there is life now “.
He concluded by saying, “Let us pray that the benefits of this healing will spread throughout the world. Happy Easter to you all! ”
After delivering his Easter message Urbi et Orbi, the Pope imparted his apostolic blessing.