Pope: Christ’s resurrection is the true hope of the world, the hope that does not disappoint
In his Urbi et Orbi Message, Pope Francis demonstrates and invokes "the fruits" of the resurrection of Jesus, which still acts "in the furrows of history". Prayers for the "fruits" of hope, dignity, peace, consolation for refugees and refugees, for Syria and the Middle East, for Ukraine, Venezuela, Africa and South Sudan in particular.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Christ’s resurrection is the true hope of the world, the hope that does not disappoint": this is the announcement of Pope Francis on Easter Day on the occasion of his Urbi et Orbi Message (to the city of Rome and the world ), which he proclaimed today from the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica, before tens of thousands of faithful. In the square, adorned with multicolored spring flowers, the pontiff stressed that "the power of God's love, which is released" with the resurrection, "bears fruit even today in the furrows of our history, marked by so many injustices and violence" .
He then listed a series of existing "fruits" and asked for in prayer: "fruits of hope and dignity" for the poor and refugees; fruits of peace for the whole world, beginning with the beloved and tormented Syria "; "fruits of reconciliation" for the Holy Land, Yemen and the Middle East; "fruits of hope" for the African continent and in particular for South Sudan; "fruits of dialogue" for the Korean peninsula. And again: "fruits of peace" for Ukraine; "fruits of consolation" for the Venezuelan people; "fruits of new life" for children and the elderly; "fruits of wisdom ... for those who have political responsibilities all over the world". Quoting some words of John Paul II, he concluded: " Death, solitude and fear are not the last word. There is a word that transcends them, a word that only God can speak: it is the word of the resurrection".
Previously the Pope had celebrated Easter morning mass in the square in front of the basilica. In his unscripted homily, referring to the gospel (John 20: 1-9), he proposed three paths of reflection. First of all, the announcement full of surprise of the resurrection. "Our God - he said - is a God of surprises". The second track is "the haste" shown by women, by the disciples: "This is how the good news spread: quickly". The third track is "a question: and me? Am I open to God's surprises? Am I able to rush or return to tomorrow? John and Peter ran to the tomb ... And [it is said:] believed. And I?".
Here is the complete text of today's Urbi et Orbi Message:
Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!
Jesus is risen from the dead!
This message resounds in the Church the world over, along with the singing of the Alleluia: Jesus is Lord; the Father has raised him and he lives forever in our midst.
Jesus had foretold his death and resurrection using the image of the grain of wheat. He said: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12:24). And this is precisely what happened: Jesus, the grain of wheat sowed by God in the furrows of the earth, died, killed by the sin of the world. He remained two days in the tomb; but his death contained God’s love in all its power, released and made manifest on the third day, the day we celebrate today: the Easter of Christ the Lord.
We Christians believe and know that Christ’s resurrection is the true hope of the world, the hope that does not disappoint. It is the power of the grain of wheat, the power of that love which humbles itself and gives itself to the very end, and thus truly renews the world. This power continues to bear fruit today in the furrows of our history, marked by so many acts of injustice and violence. It bears fruits of hope and dignity where there are deprivation and exclusion, hunger and unemployment, where there are migrants and refugees (so often rejected by today’s culture of waste), and victims of the drug trade, human trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery.
Today we implore fruits of peace upon the entire world, beginning with the beloved and long-suffering land of Syria, whose people are worn down by an apparently endless war. This Easter, may the light of the risen Christ illumine the consciences of all political and military leaders, so that a swift end may be brought to the carnage in course, that humanitarian law may be respected and that provisions be made to facilitate access to the aid so urgently needed by our brothers and sisters, while also ensuring fitting conditions for the return of the displaced.
We beseech fruits of reconciliation for the Holy Land, also experiencing in these days the wounds of ongoing conflict that do not spare the defenceless, for Yemen and for the entire Middle East, so that dialogue and mutual respect may prevail over division and violence. May our brothers and sisters in Christ, who not infrequently put up with injustices and persecution, be radiant witnesses of the risen Lord and of the victory of good over evil.
We invoke on this day fruits of hope for those who yearn for a more dignified life, above all in those areas of the African continent deeply affected by hunger, endemic conflicts and terrorism. May the peace of the risen Lord heal wounds in South Sudan and the strife-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo, and open hearts to dialogue and mutual understanding. Let us not forget the victims of that conflict, especially the children! May there be no lack of solidarity with all those forced to abandon leave their native lands and lacking the bare essentials for living.
We implore fruits of dialogue for the Korean peninsula, that the discussions under way may advance harmony and peace within the region. May those who are directly responsible act with wisdom and discernment to promote the good of the Korean people and to build relationships of trust within the international community.
We also beseech fruits of peace for Ukraine, that the steps taken to favour harmony may be consolidated, and facilitated by the humanitarian initiatives needed by its people.
We also invoke fruits of consolation for the Venezuelan people, who, as their bishops have written, are living in a kind of “foreign land” within their own country. May that nation, by the power of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, find a just, peaceful and humane way to surmount quickly the political and humanitarian crises that grip it. May welcome and assistance not be wanting to its sons and daughters forced to abandon their homeland.
May the risen Christ bring fruits of new life to those children, who as a result of wars and hunger, grow up without hope, lacking education and health care; and to those elderly persons who are cast off by a selfish culture that ostracizes those who are not “productive”.
We also implore fruits of wisdom for those who have political responsibilities in our world, that they may always respect human dignity, devote themselves actively to the pursuit of the common good, and ensure the development and security of their own citizens.
Dear brothers and sisters,
The words heard by the women at the tomb are also addressed to us: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (Lk 24:5-6). Death, solitude and fear are not the last word. There is a word that transcends them, a word that only God can speak: it is the word of the resurrection (cf. JOHN PAUL II, Conclusion of the Way of the Cross, 18 April 2003). By the power of God’s love, it “dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord and brings down the mighty” (Easter Proclamation).
Happy Easter to all!
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04/04/2021 13:51
04/04/2010
