Francisco en Urbi et Orbi: Easter gives hope and does not disappoint

Vatican City

This Easter Sunday, on a sunny and cool morning and in the midst of the almost total closure of activities in Italy due to the pandemic, Pope Francis said: “Today the Church’s announcement resonates in all regions of the world: “Jesus, the crucified, is risen, as he had said. Alleluia”.

The announcement of Easter is neither a mirage nor a means of escape

Francisco, in the message on the occasion of the Urbi et Orbi blessing, insisted on the fact that the Easter announcement shows neither a mirage nor a formula to get out of the situation we are living in: “The pandemic is still in full swing, the social and economic crisis is very serious, especially for the poorest; and despite everything – and this is scandalous – armed conflicts do not cease and military arsenals are reinforced. This is today’s scandal ”.

“The announcement of Easter captures in a few words an event that gives hope and does not disappoint:“ Jesus, the crucified, is risen ”. He does not speak to us about angels or ghosts, but about a man, a man of flesh and blood, with a face and a name: Jesus ”, affirmed the bishop of Rome.

God resurrected his son because he fulfilled his will of salvation

“God the Father resuscitated his Son Jesus because he fully accomplished his will of salvation: he assumed our weakness, our evils, our very death; he suffered our pains, he bore the weight of our iniquities. This is why God the Father exalted him and now Jesus Christ lives forever, he is the Lord ”, declared the Roman Pontiff.

The Risen Christ is Hope

Francis went on to say that the wounds on Jesus’ hands, feet and side, “these wounds are the perpetual seal of his love for us”.

The Risen One, emphasizes François, is hope for all those who suffer because of the pandemic, for the sick and for those who have lost a loved one. “May the Lord comfort and sustain the fatigue of doctors and nurses. All people, especially the most fragile, need assistance and have the right to access necessary treatment ”. Then the Pontiff called to continue the vaccination process: “in the spirit of an” internationalism of vaccines “, I urge the entire international community to a common commitment to overcome the delays in their distribution and promote their distribution, especially in the poorest. countries “.

The Risen Christ is Consolation

The Pope noted the harsh living conditions of those who have lost their jobs or who are in financial difficulty. “May the Lord inspire the action of the public authorities so that everyone, in particular the most deprived families, receives the assistance essential to an adequate diet. Unfortunately, the pandemic has dramatically increased the number of poor and the desperation of thousands of people ”.

Then he asked for Haiti: “And it is precisely to the dear Haitian people that my thoughts and encouragement are directed on this day, so that they are not overwhelmed by difficulties, but rather look to the future. with confidence and hope. ” The Pope then said: “And I tell you that my thoughts go especially to you, dear Haitian brothers and sisters: I am close to you, I am close to you, and I would like the problems to be definitively resolved for you. I pray for this, dear Haitian brothers and sisters ”.

The Risen One, Hope for Young People

Francis said: “The Risen Jesus is also the hope for so many young people who have been forced to spend long periods without attending school or university, and without being able to share time with friends. We all need to experience real human relationships and not just virtual ones, especially at an age when character and personality are being formed ”.

Likewise, the Pope expressed his closeness to all the young people of the world, in particular with “those of Myanmar, who are committed to democracy, making their voices heard in a peaceful manner, knowing that hatred can only be dispelled by ‘love”.

The Risen One, source of rebirth for emigrants

May the light of the Risen Lord be a source of rebirth for migrants fleeing war and misery. In their faces we recognize the disfigured and suffering face of the Lord who walks to Calvary. May they not lack concrete signs of solidarity and human fraternity, a pledge of the victory of life over death that we are celebrating on this day ”, affirmed the Pope. He then thanked the solidarity of Lebanon and Jordan because they welcome so many refugees who have fled the Syrian conflict.

Thank you to the peoples who welcome migrants

The Pope also asked the Lebanese people and declared: “May the Lebanese people, who are going through a period of difficulties and uncertainties, know the consolation of the Risen Lord and be supported by the international community in their vocation to be a land . meeting, coexistence and pluralism ”.

Silence the guns

The Pope called for Syria, “where millions of people are currently living in inhuman conditions”. He also asked for Yemen: “whose vicissitudes are surrounded by deafening and scandalous silence and for Libya:” where the end of a decade of conflicts and bloody clashes is finally in sight. François calls on all the parties involved to put an end to the suffering of these peoples and to allow “the peoples devastated by war to live in peace”.

Francis expressed his wish that the Palestinians and the Israelis “once again find the strength of dialogue to reach a stable solution which allows two states to coexist in peace and prosperity”.

The Bishop of Rome recalled Iraq, a country he visited recently, and declared: “I ask you to continue on the path of peace that you have undertaken, so that God’s dream of a human family hospitable and welcoming for all its children can be realized. “[1]

Francisco also turned his gaze to Africa, where some countries “see their future threatened by internal violence and international terrorism” and cited the Sahel and Nigeria, the Tigray region and Cabo Delgado. He called for efforts to continue to find peaceful solutions to conflicts, respecting human rights and the sanctity of life.

“There are still too many wars, too much violence in the world”

“May the Lord, who is our peace, help us to beat the war mentalityFrancis said and demanded that prisoners of conflicts in eastern Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh return safely to their families. He also asked the Lord to “urge the leaders of the whole world to stop the arms race.”

The Bishop of Rome recalled that April 4 is World Day Against Antipersonnel Mines, artifacts he describes as “cunning and horrific artifacts that kill or mutilate many innocent people every year (…) How much a world would be better without those instruments of death! “

The Pope expressed his wish “that all restrictions on freedom of worship and religion in the world be eliminated and that everyone can pray and praise God freely”.

Francis ended his speech with the following words: In the light of the Risen Lord, our sufferings are transfigured. Where there was death now there is life; where there was mourning now there is comfort. By kissing the Cross, Jesus gave meaning to our suffering. And now, let us pray that the beneficial effects of this healing will spread throughout the world. Happy Easter, serene and holy to all!

[1] Cf. Interfaith meeting in Ur (March 6, 2021).