Pope Francis delivers his traditional Easter message “Urbi et Orbi” – to the city and the world – and emphasizes how we celebrate today the event that gives us the hope that does not disappoint: “Jesus who was crucified has risen”.
By author of Vatican News staff
All over the world the Church is preaching the good news that ‘Jesus, who was crucified, has risen as he said. Alleluia! “, Pope Francis broadcast live at the beginning of his Easter message around the world.
He delivered his Urbi et Orbi message within the Basilica of St. Peter, just like last year, due to security measures for coronavirus.
He had just concluded the presidency of the Easter Sunday Mass at the altar of the throne with a small congregation participating in it. The basilica contains sketches of Avalanche roses given by Dutch florists who filled St. Peter’s Square with flowers every Easter, but had to stop temporarily due to the pandemic.
The Easter reality of the resurrection offers concrete, tangible hope and comfort, the pope remarked, but his message does not offer us ‘a mirage or reveal a magic formula’ that we could wish for as an exit to the world’s difficult realities. .
Amid the spread of the pandemic, social and economic crisis that hit the poor in particular, but also, he notes the ‘scandalous’ fact that ‘armed conflicts have not ended and military arsenals are being strengthened’.
Hope this does not disappoint
The message of the Passover of hope tells us succinctly that ‘the crucified Jesus, no one else, has risen from the dead’, said Pope Francis, adding that God raised up the Father Jesus, who achieved his saving will. by taking our weakness, weaknesses upon Himself the weight of our sins, even our death. As a result, the pope said, “God the Father has exalted Him and now Jesus Christ lives forever; He is the Lord. ”
The wounds that Jesus carries in his hands, feet and side are ‘the eternal seal of his love for us’, the pope remarked, and all who experience trials in body or spirit can hide in them and’ receive the grace of the hope that does not disappoint. ”
Hope and solidarity in pandemic times
Pope Francis further said that the Risen Christ gives hope and comfort to those who are suffering from the pandemic, the sick and those who have lost a loved one. He also prayed that the Lord “might sustain the valiant efforts of doctors and nurses.”
He stressed that everyone, especially the vulnerable, needs help and the right to care, and that vaccines are essential. He called on the international community to ‘commit to overcoming delays in the distribution of vaccines and facilitating their distribution, especially in the poorest countries’.
The Risen Lord is comforting the unemployed and those experiencing economic hardship, the pope said. He prayed that Christ could inspire ‘public authorities’ to take action so that all, especially families in dire need,’ could be helped to prevent them from slipping into poverty, a sad reality that dramatically exacerbated the pandemic.
The pope also referred to the psychological weight of the pandemic on young people, who are often forced to stay home without going to school or visiting friends in person. He expressed his “closeness to young people around the world”.
Hope that brings peace to our world
When quoting Saint John Paul II during his visit to Haiti, “the poor of every kind must begin to hope again,” he said, turning his mind to the “beloved Haitian people,” and urging them ” to look to the future with confidence and hope “, and is not overwhelmed by current problems. He stressed his closeness to it and that their problems could be definitively solved.
Pope Francis prayed for the young people of Myanmar ‘to strive to support democracy and make their voices heard peacefully’, so that ‘hatred can only be driven away by love’.
He reminds migrants fleeing war and extreme poverty and that the ‘light of the risen Jesus’ is a source of rebirth’ for them, as we see in it the ‘spoiled and suffering face of the Lord’ on the road to Calvary. It calls for concrete signs of ‘solidarity and human brotherhood’ from all, he noted, and he thanks nations that receive those seeking refuge, referring to Lebanon and Jordan who have fled so many refugees into neighboring Syria.
May the people of Lebanon, in his prayer, ‘get support from the international community’ in these difficult times and persevere as a country of encounter, coexistence and pluralism. ‘
And ‘may Christ our peace’ underline the clash of arms in ‘beloved and war-torn Syria’, underline the pope, where millions of people suffer.
He also pointed to the “deafening and scandalous silence” regarding the suffering in Yemen.
With a view to the nation of Libya, he notes the hope that there will finally be an end to the decade of bloodshed and unrest. In all these countries, he urged all parties involved to ‘commit themselves’ to end this conflict and allow ‘war-weary people to live in peace’ and rebuild their lives and communities.
Live as brothers and sisters
The resurrection takes us to Jerusalem, and the pope went on to say, where ‘we ask the Lord to give peace and security’, so that he ‘may embrace his calling’ to be a place where ‘all are brothers and sisters’ can see ”. He urged Israelis and Palestinians to ‘rediscover the power of dialogue’ so that a solution can be found to ‘enable the two states to live side by side in peace and prosperity’.
Pope Francis also recalled his visit to Iraq last month, praying that the nation would continue on the ‘path to peace’ and ‘the fulfillment of God’s dream for a human family that is hospitable and welcoming to all its children’.
Overcome the Attitude of War
The pope’s thoughts then turned to Africa, especially places suffering from internal violence and international terrorism in areas of the Sahel, Nigeria, Tigray and the Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique, and prayed that the conflict could be resolved peacefully by ‘ dialogue in a spirit of reconciliation and true solidarity ”.
The pope regrets too many wars and too much violence. He prayed, “May the Lord, who is our peace, help us overcome the way of thinking of war.”
May prisoners of conflict be liberated in eastern Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh, he added, and may the arms race be curtailed. He recalled that Sunday 4 April celebrated International Awareness Day against anti-personnel landmines, saying that these “treacherous and horrific devices” kill or damage many innocent people every year. He also emphasized “how much better would our world be without these instruments of death!”
Healed by the Wounds of Christ
Finally, Pope Francis realized that Christians in so many places celebrated Easter under severe restrictions, and were sometimes unable to attend liturgical celebrations. He prayed that this, and all restrictions on freedom of worship and religion worldwide, might be lifted so that all would be allowed to freely pray and praise God.
In the midst of these many hardships, 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 suffering has now changed … where death was, now there is life ‘.
He concluded: “We pray that the benefits of that healing will spread throughout the world. Happy Easter to you all! ”
After conveying his Urbi et Orbi Easter message, the pope gave his apostolic blessing.