Pope: May the world welcome the peace of the Risen One
The first Easter message of Benedict XVI called for the realization of peace through dialogue and respect for rights. The pope mentioned Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Africa, Latin America, and "crises linked to nuclear power". Easter greetings were delivered in 62 languages. And those in the square wished the pope the best for his 79th birthday.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) Peace. Peace for Israel, whose right to live in security was recognized; peace for Palestine, the focus of an appeal for international aid, its right to become a state upheld; peace for Iraq, where pitiless war prevails; peace to be sought by dialogue in international crises linked to the nuclear ambitions of both Iran and North Korea; peace for Africa, especially the Great Lakes region and tormented Darfur, peace for Latin America, that kidnappings may stop and democracy be reinforced; peace for the whole world, among its ethnic groups, cultures and faiths, liberated from terrorism. On the day renewing the eternal victory of Jesus over death, Benedict XVI had a message of faith for Christians and of hope for the whole world. And Easter wishes were repeated in 62 languages from the balcony of the basilica, after the Urbi et Orbi blessing.
Under the hot spring sun, Benedict XVI addressed more than 100,000 people in St Peter's square, colourfully decked with thousands of flowers, as well as hundreds of millions of viewers following the event on television. On the day of his 79th birthday and celebrating his first Easter as Pope, he repeated the angel's pronouncement "Christ is risen" to urge all to grasp the meaning of these words, to unite in the joy that comes from the promise of eternity, but also to seek to bring peace to our times.
He said: "Today, the Creator's promise is fulfilled, even in this modern age marked by anxiety and uncertainty, we relive the event of the Resurrection, which changed the face of our life and changed the history of humanity. From the risen Christ, all those who are still oppressed by chains of suffering and death look for hope, sometimes even without knowing it."
Running through a list of the suffering afflicting the world, he added: "May the Spirit of the Risen one, in particular, bring relief and security in Africa to the peoples of Darfur, who are living in a dramatic humanitarian situation that is no longer sustainable; to those of the Great Lakes region, where many wounds have yet to be healed; to the peoples of Africa which aspire to reconciliation, justice and progress. In Iraq, may peace finally prevail over the tragic violence that continues mercilessly to claim victims. I also pray sincerely that those caught up in the conflict in the Holy Land may find peace, and I invite all to patient and persevering dialogue, so as to remove both ancient and new obstacles. May the international community, which re-affirms Israel's just right to exist in peace, assist the Palestinian people to overcome the precarious conditions in which they live and to build their future, moving towards the constitution of a state that is truly their own."
"May the Spirit of the Risen one enkindle a renewed enthusiastic commitment of the countries of Latin America, so that the living conditions of millions of citizens may be improved, the deplorable scourge of kidnapping may be eradicated and democratic institutions may be consolidated in a spirit of harmony and effective solidarity. Concerning the international crises linked to nuclear power, may an honourable solution be found for all parties, through serious and honest negotiations, and may the leaders of nations and of International Organizations be strengthened in their will to achieve peaceful coexistence among different races, cultures and religions, in order to remove the threat of terrorism."
"May the Risen Lord grant that the strength of his life, peace and freedom be experienced everywhere. Today the words with which the Angel reassured the frightened hearts of the women on Easter morning are addressed to all: "Do not be afraid! ... He is not here; he is risen (Mt 28:5-6)". Jesus is risen, and he gives us peace; he himself is peace. For this reason the Church repeats insistently: "Christ is risen - Christós anésti." Let the people of the third millennium not be afraid to open their hearts to him. His Gospel totally quenches the thirst for peace and happiness that is found in every human heart. Christ is now alive and he walks with us. What an immense mystery of love!"
When the time came to deliver Easter greetings to the world, Benedict XVI used many Asian languages to announce the Resurrection: Russian, Mongolian, Turkish, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Burmese, Urdu, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Sinhalese, Thai, Indonesian, Cambodian and Filipino (in this order).
In his greetings, the Pope reserved special mention for Italy, that "during the particular time it is passing through in these months, the Risen Lord may bring serenity to the national community, and strengthen in all those working in his service, the lively desire to pursue goals of harmony and authentic development for the common good."
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