VATICAN CITY, APRIL 4, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Human beings have always sought a way to extend life, to cure death. Such a cure does indeed exist, Benedict XVI says.
The Pope spoke of this cure for death – baptism — during his homily at the Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter’s.
He reflected that an endless prolongation of life as we know it would hardly be a cure.
“The true cure for death must be different,” the Holy Father proposed. “It cannot lead simply to an indefinite prolongation of this current life. It would have to transform our lives from within. It would need to create a new life within us, truly fit for eternity: it would need to transform us in such a way as not to come to an end with death, but only then to begin in fullness.”
The Pontiff said that the “new and exciting” of the Christian message is the affirmation that this “cure for death, this true medicine of immortality, does exist.”
“It has been found,” he assured. “It is within our reach. In baptism, this medicine is given to us.”
At the Easter Vigil, the Bishop of Rome baptized six people: two women from Albania, one from Somalia and another from Sudan; a man from Japan, and a five-year-old boy from Russia.
“A new life begins in us,” Benedict XVI told the faithful and the newly baptized, “a life that matures in faith and is not extinguished by the death of the old life, but is only then fully revealed.”
“Indeed, the cure for death does exist,” the Pope concluded. “Christ is the tree of life, once more within our reach. If we remain close to him, then we have life. Hence, during this night of resurrection, with all our hearts we shall sing the alleluia, the song of joy that has no need of words.”
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full text: www.zenit.org/article-28850?l=english
