Pope: ‘Easter is life. There is no peace without religious freedom and freedom of speech’

From the loggia of St. Peter's, Francis gave his blessing with a voice weakened by illness. In his Urbi et Orbi message, read by the master of papal ceremonies, his gaze turms to armed conflicts and trade wars, but also at lives wounded in their mothers' wombs, the elderly and migrants. ‘May the ceasefire be a sign of hope for Myanmar’.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Seated in a wheelchair on the Loggia of Benedictions, Pope Francis personally proclaimed the Easter message in these times darkened by death. With a faint voice, Pope Francis wished everyone a ‘Happy Easter’ and imparted the Urbi et Orbi blessing. But as happens every year - through his message, read by the master of papal ceremonies, Monsignor Diego Ravelli - he made his words heard on the many wounds of the world, which even the body of the risen Christ takes upon himself.

‘Evil has not disappeared from history; it will remain until the end, but it no longer has the upper hand; it no longer has power over those who accept the grace of this day. Sisters and brothers, especially those of you experiencing pain and sorrow, your silent cry has been heard and your tears have been counted; not one of them has been lost! In the passion and death of Jesus, God has taken upon himself all the evil in this world and in his infinite mercy has defeated it. He has uprooted the diabolical pride that poisons the human heart and wreaks violence and corruption on every side.The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event, hope is no longer an illusion. Thanks to Christ — crucified and risen from the dead — hope does not disappoint!’

The Pope recalls that Easter is the feast of life and that God wants all humanity to rise again. ‘In his eyes, every life is precious,’ he comments. “That of the child in its mother's womb, like that of the elderly or the sick, considered in a growing number of countries as people to be discarded.” There is so much desire for death in the conflicts that bloody the world. But how much violence, the Pope adds, ’do we often see even in families, towards women or children. How much contempt is sometimes shown towards the weakest, the marginalised, migrants. On this day, I would like us to return to hope and trust in others, even in those who are not close to us or come from distant lands with customs, ways of life and ideas different from those we are most familiar with, because we are all children of God.’

Francis confided ' I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas! For all of us are children of God!' 

And before the empty tomb, our gaze cannot but turn to the bloodstained Holy Land. ’II express my closeness to the sufferings of Christians in Palestine and Israel, and to all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people. The growing climate of anti-Semitism throughout the world is worrisome. Yet at the same time, I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation. I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!.’

Pope Francis also remembered Lebanon and Syria, ‘presently experiencing a delicate transition in its history. They aspire to stability and to participation in the life of their respective nations. I urge the whole Church to keep the Christians of the beloved Middle East in its thoughts and prayers’. ‘May the risen Christ grant Ukraine, devastated by war, his Easter gift of peace, and encourage all parties involved to pursue efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace,’ he implored.

He asked the Risen Lord for ‘peace and comfort for the African peoples who are victims of violence and conflict, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and South Sudan,’ as well as for ‘Christians who in many places cannot freely profess their faith.’

‘No peace is possible where there is no religious freedom or freedom of thought and speech and respect for the opinions of others,’ he said, referring to a wound that unites many countries in Asia. And no peace is possible without genuine disarmament: ’The need for every people to provide for its own defence cannot turn into a general arms race.’ Francis also warned against trade wars: ‘The light of Easter,’ he admonished, ‘urges us to break down the barriers that create divisions and are fraught with political and economic consequences. It urges us to care for one another, to increase mutual solidarity, to work to promote the integral development of every human person.’

As an example of this, he cited the people of Myanmar, ‘plagued by long years of armed conflict, who, with courage and patience, are dealing with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Sagaing, which caused the death of thousands and great suffering for the many survivors, including orphans and the elderly. We pray for the victims and their loved ones, and we heartily thank all the generous volunteers carrying out the relief operations. The announcement of a ceasefire by various actors in the country is a sign of hope for the whole of Myanmar.’

He appealed: "to all those in positions of political responsibility in our world not to yield to the logic of fear which only leads to isolation from others, but rather to use the resources available to help the needy, to fight hunger and to encourage initiatives that promote development. These are the “weapons” of peace: weapons that build the future, instead of sowing seeds of death! May the principle of humanity never fail to be the hallmark of our daily actions. In the face of the cruelty of conflicts that involve defenceless civilians and attack schools, hospitals and humanitarian workers, we cannot allow ourselves to forget that it is not targets that are struck, but persons, each possessed of a soul and human dignity."

Finally, in this Jubilee Year, he asks that ‘Easter also be a favourable opportunity to free prisoners of war and political prisoners’. He invites everyone to welcome from the Risen Lord ‘the certainty that we too are called to participate in the life that knows no end, in which the noise of weapons and the echoes of death will no longer be heard. Let us entrust ourselves to Him who alone can make all things new’.