Pope's Urbi et Orbi message calls for world peace

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Source: Vatican Media

Pope Francis dedicated his Easter Urbi et Orbi message this year to calling for peace worldwide, for global disarmament and for the release of prisoners.

The Holy Father, who is still recovering from double pneumonia, brieflygreeted the crowds in St Peter's Square from the loggia of St Peter's Basilica. He then passed on his text to be read by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, and the Pope's words rang out proclaiming: "Christ is risen."

"Christ, my hope, has risen," Pope Francis announced, calling on the faithful to turn their gaze to the empty tomb. He spoke of the resurrection not as an abstract idea but as a living force - one that challenges, heals, and empowers.

"Today too, he takes upon himself all the evil that oppresses us and transfigures it."

"Love has triumphed over hatred, light over darkness, and truth over falsehood. Forgiveness has triumphed over revenge… 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."

After this proclamation of faith, Pope Francis spoke about the suffering in the world today.

He focussed first on the Holy Land, "wounded by conflict", and home to an "endless outburst of violence". He extended his closeness, in particular, to the people of Gaza and to the Christian community in Gaza where "the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation."

"I appeal once again," he said, "for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, for the release of the hostages… and for access to humanitarian aid."

He urged the international community to act and "come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace."

The Pope's prayers then extended to the Christian communities in Lebanon and in Syria, "presently experiencing a delicate transition in its history," and urged the whole Church "to keep the Christians of the beloved Middle East in its thoughts and prayers."

Turning to Yemen, "experiencing one of the world's most serious and prolonged humanitarian crises because of war," Pope Francis invited all those involved to find a solution "through a constructive dialogue."

For Ukraine, "devastated by war," he invoked the Risen Christ's gift of peace. May all involved, he said, continue efforts toward a "just and lasting peace."

He spoke, too, of the South Caucasus, where long-standing tensions call for urgent reconciliation. In particular, he prayed for a final peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and for healing in the region.

In the Western Balkans, Pope Francis prayed that the Easter light inspire leaders to calm tensions and reject destabilising actions choosing instead a path of harmony, together with their neighbours.

Pope Francis then called for peace in Africa.

He appealed for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for those of Sudan and South Sudan, and for those caught in the violence of the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and the Great Lakes region. "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".

He prayed, especially, for Christians unable to live their faith freely across the continent. "There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and respect for the views of others," he said. And no peace, he added, without true disarmament.

"The light of Easter impels us to break down the barriers that divide us," Pope Francis said. These barriers are not only physical, but political, economic, and spiritual. He called on nations to use their resources not for rearmament, but to combat hunger, invest in development, and "care for one another."

The Pope appealed to all those who hold positions of political responsibility in our world not to yield to the logic of fear but to use our resources to help those in need, "to fight hunger and encourage initiatives that promote development." "These," the Pope said, "are the 'weapons' of peace: weapons that build the future, instead of sowing seeds of death!"

Pope Francis then spoke of people of Myanmar, who continue to suffer the effects of conflict and, most recently, the devastating earthquake in Sagaing. He expressed deep sorrow for the thousands who have died, for orphans, and for the elderly who remain. But he also remembered the hope that is emerging from the strife-ridden land: "The announcement of a ceasefire", he said, "is a sign of hope for the whole of Myanmar".

His final thought was that, in this Jubilee year, Easter may also be a fitting occasion for the liberation of prisoners of war and political prisoners.

"What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day" decried the Pope, before praying: "May the principle of humanity never fail to be the hallmark of our daily actions."

Finally, the Pope emphasised that this Easter, the Risen Christ "fills us with the certainty that we too are called to share in the life that knows no end, when the clash of arms and the rumble of death will be heard no more".

Read the full Urbi et Orbi Message: www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/urbi/documents/20250420-urbi-et-orbi-pasqua.html

Watch the Mass and Urbi et Orbi message: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcAV6c89SAE