Pope at Easter Vigil: "It is always possible to begin again"."The Church is called to cultivate the gift of unity."Palm Sunday. The amazement of seeing God lovingThis year we have not been able to see Pope Francis impart the "Urbi et Orbi" blessing - to the city and to the whole world - from the balcony of the Loggia of Blessings. However, we have seen him do so from the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter's Basilica, from where he has addressed the Easter Message to all the faithful listening to him on radio, television and other media.
Then, after the announcement of the granting of the indulgence made by His Eminence Card. Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope imparted the "Urbi et Orbi" blessing to all those following the moment.
We publish below the Easter Message of the Holy Father:
Dear brothers and sisters: Happy Easter!
Today the Church's proclamation resounds in every part of the world: "Jesus, the crucified one, has risen, as he had said. Alleluia.
The Easter proclamation is not a mirage, it does not reveal a magic formula, nor does it indicate a way out of the difficult situation we are going through. 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 continue and military arsenals are being strengthened.
In the face of this, or rather, in the midst of this complex reality, the Easter proclamation gathers in a few words an event that gives hope and does not disappoint: "Jesus, the crucified one, is risen". It does not speak to us of angels or ghosts, but of a man, a man of flesh and blood, with a face and a name: Jesus. The Gospel testifies that this Jesus, crucified under the power of Pontius Pilate for having said that he was the Christ, the Son of God, on the third day rose again, according to the Scriptures and as he himself had announced to his disciples.
The Crucified One, not another, is the one who is risen. God the Father raised his Son Jesus because he fully accomplished his will of salvation: he assumed our weakness, our infirmities, our very death; he suffered our pains, he bore the weight of our iniquities. For this reason God the Father exalted him and now Jesus Christ lives forever, he is Lord.
And the witnesses point out an important detail: the risen Jesus bears the wounds imprinted on his hands, his feet and his side. These wounds are the perpetual seal of his love for us. Anyone who suffers a hard trial, in body and spirit, can find refuge in these wounds and receive through them the grace of hope that does not disappoint.
The Risen Christ is hope for all those who are still suffering because of the pandemic, for the sick and for those who have lost a loved one. May the Lord comfort and sustain the efforts of doctors and nurses. All people, especially the most fragile, need assistance and have the right to have access to the necessary treatment. This is even more evident at this time when we are all called upon to fight the pandemic, and vaccines are an essential tool in this fight. Therefore, in the spirit of "vaccine internationalism," I urge the entire international community to make a common commitment to overcome the delays in their distribution and to promote their delivery, especially in the poorest countries.
The Risen Crucified One is a consolation for those who have lost their jobs or are experiencing serious economic difficulties and lack adequate social protection. May the Lord inspire the action of the public authorities so that all, especially the neediest families, may receive the help necessary for adequate sustenance. Unfortunately, the pandemic has dramatically increased the number of poor and the desperation of thousands of people.
"It is necessary for the poor of every kind to regain hope," said St. John Paul II during his trip to Haiti. And it is precisely to the dear Haitian people that my thoughts and my encouragement are directed this day, so that they may not be overwhelmed by difficulties, but may look to the future with confidence and hope.
The Risen Jesus is hope also for so many young people who have been forced to spend long periods of time 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 the age when character and personality are being formed. I feel close to young people all over the world and, at this time, particularly those in Myanmar, who are committed to democracy, making their voices heard in a peaceful way, knowing that hatred can only be dispelled by love.
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 towards Calvary. May they not lack concrete signs of solidarity and human fraternity, a guarantee of the victory of life over death that we celebrate on this day. I thank the countries that generously welcome those who suffer and seek refuge, especially Lebanon and Jordan, which receive so many refugees who have fled the Syrian conflict.
May the Lebanese people, who are going through a period of difficulties and uncertainties, experience the comfort of the risen Lord and be supported by the international community in their vocation to be a land of encounter, coexistence and pluralism.
May Christ, our peace, finally silence the clamor of arms in beloved and tormented Syria, where millions of people are currently living in inhumane conditions, as well as in Yemen, whose vicissitudes are surrounded by a deafening and scandalous silence, and in Libya, where a way out of a decade of bloody strife and confrontation is finally in sight. Let all the parties involved commit themselves effectively to putting an end to the conflicts and allowing the war-torn peoples to live in peace and start the reconstruction of their respective countries.
The Resurrection naturally refers us to Jerusalem; let us implore the Lord to grant it peace and security (cf. Salt 122), to respond to the call to be a meeting place where everyone can feel that they are brothers and sisters, and where Israelis and Palestinians can once again find the strength of dialogue to reach a stable solution that will allow the coexistence of two States in peace and prosperity.
On this feast day, my thoughts turn also to Iraq, which I had the joy of visiting last month, and which I pray may continue along the path of pacification it has embarked upon, so that God's dream of a human family hospitable and welcoming to all his children may be realized.[1] I am grateful to the President of the Republic for his efforts to bring about the peace that he has begun, so that God's dream of a human family hospitable and welcoming to all his children may be fulfilled.
May the strength of the Risen Lord sustain the peoples of Africa whose future is threatened by internal violence and international terrorism, especially in the Sahel and Nigeria, as well as in the region of Tigray and Cabo Delgado. May efforts continue to find peaceful solutions to conflicts, with respect for human rights and the sanctity of life, through fraternal and constructive dialogue, in a spirit of reconciliation and active solidarity.
There are still too many wars and too much violence in the world! May the Lord, who is our peace, help us to overcoming the war mentality. May he grant all those taken prisoner in conflicts, especially in eastern Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh, that they may return safely to their families, and inspire leaders around the world to stop the arms race. Today, April 4, marks the World Day against anti-personnel landmines, the horrible and artful devices that kill or maim many innocent people every year and prevent "men from walking together on the paths of life, unafraid of the lurks of destruction and death."[2] How much better a world would be without these instruments of death!
Dear brothers and sisters, this year too, in various places, many Christians have celebrated Easter under severe restrictions and, in some cases, without even being able to attend liturgical celebrations. Let us pray that these restrictions, like all restrictions on freedom of worship and religion in the world, may be removed and that everyone may pray and praise God freely.
In the midst of the many difficulties we go through, let us never forget that we are healed by the wounds of Christ (cf. 1 P 2,24). In the light of the risen Lord, our sufferings are transfigured. Where there was death there is now life; where there was mourning there is now consolation. By embracing the Cross, Jesus has given meaning to our sufferings. And now let us pray that the beneficial effects of this healing may extend to the whole world. Happy Easter to all!
