Pope Francis on Easter Sunday gave his blessing «urbi et orbi» (to the city [Rome] and to the world), taking the occasion to affirm that in Jesus, «love has triumphed over hatred, mercy over sinfulness, goodness over evil, truth over falsehood, life over death.»
«That is why we tell everyone: ‘Come and see!'» the Pope exclaimed. «In every human situation, marked by frailty, sin and death, the Good News is no mere matter of words, but a testimony to unconditional and faithful love: it is about leaving ourselves behind and encountering others, being close to those crushed by life’s troubles, sharing with the needy, standing at the side of the sick, elderly and the outcast… ‘Come and see!’: Love is more powerful, love gives life, love makes hope blossom in the wilderness.»
The Holy Father went on to note countries around the globe in special need of God’s healing.
He prayed for an end to hunger «aggravated by conflicts and by the immense wastefulness for which we are often responsible» and the ability to «protect the vulnerable, especially children, women and the elderly, who are at times exploited and abandoned.»
Francis specifically mentioned the Ebola epidemic in Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and those with «other diseases which are also spread through neglect and dire poverty.»
He prayed for those who have been kidnapped and migrants.
The Bishop of Rome asked God for an end to war, mentioning specifically the conflicts in Syria, Central African Republic, Nigeria and South Sudan.
«Jesus, Lord of glory, we ask you to comfort the victims of fratricidal acts of violence in Iraq and to sustain the hopes raised by the resumption of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians,» he added.
The Pope also prayed for «reconciliation and fraternal concord in Venezuela» and for the situation in Ukraine, so that «all those involved, with the support of the international community, will make every effort to prevent violence and, in a spirit of unity and dialogue, chart a path for the country’s future.»
«Lord, we pray to you for all the peoples of the earth,» he concluded. «You who have conquered death, grant us your life, grant us your peace! Christus surrexit, venite et videte!» (D.C.L.)
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On Zenit’s web page:
Full Translation: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-urbi-et-orbi-message
