In his Easter message, urbi et orbi, the pope called for the “exchange of all prisoners” between Russia and Ukraine. He also called for “the guarantee” of humanitarian access to Gaza, the release of hostages and an immediate ceasefire.
It was a tired but smiling pope who launched a call for world peace on Sunday midday during the traditional Urbi et orbi message. Francis, who had renounced the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum on Friday evening but had presided over the Easter vigil, targeted two regions of the world as a priority: the Holy Land on one side, Ukraine and Russia on the other, by formulating these concrete requests: “ a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine, all for all ” Firstly. There ” guarantee » of a “ access of humanitarian aid to Gaza” urging once again to “a rapid release of the hostages kidnapped on October 7, as well as an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip ” on the other hand.
If the Holy Land is at the forefront of its call for peace – “ Today we turn our gaze first of all to the holy city of Jerusalem (…) and to all the Christian communities of the Holy Land » – Ukraine and Russia immediately follow: “ My thoughts go first to the victims of the numerous conflicts taking place in the world, starting with that in Israel and Palestine, and that in Ukraine. “. With this hope: “ May the risen Christ open a path of peace for the ravaged populations of these regions. »
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The Pope then pleaded: “ Let us not allow the ongoing hostilities to continue to seriously affect the civilian population who are now exhausted, especially children. How much suffering we see in their eyes. By their looks they ask us: why? Why so many deaths? Why so much destruction? War is always an absurdity and a defeat! Let us not let the winds of war blow ever stronger across Europe and the Mediterranean. Let us not give in to the logic of weapons and rearmament. Peace is never built with weapons, but by stretching out hands and opening hearts. »
A prayer for “migrants and those going through periods of economic hardship”
For Syria, the Pope called for the commitment of the “ International community » to remedy the “ consequences of a long and devastating war “. Francis then spoke of Lebanon, a “ land of meeting, coexistence and pluralism” Who “has long been experiencing an institutional blockage and a deep economic and social crisis, today aggravated by the hostilities on the border with Israel. “.
Concerning the region of Western Balkans “, Francis greeted “ the important steps taken towards integration into the European project » while wishing that « ethnic, cultural and religious differences are not a cause of division, but a source of wealth for the whole of Europe and the whole world “.
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In this geopolitical overview, the head of the Catholic Church also mentioned Armenia and Azerbaijan, hoping that “ support from the international community » helps these countries « to continue dialogue, rescue displaced people, respect the places of worship of different religious faiths and reach a definitive peace agreement as quickly as possible. »
The Pope, finally, prayed that “ The Risen One assists the Haitian people, so that the violence which is tearing and bloodying the country stops as quickly as possible and so that it can progress on the path to democracy and fraternity. » Same intention for “ the Rohingyas, affected by a serious humanitarian crisis, and that He opens the way to reconciliation in Burma torn by years of internal conflicts, so that all logic of violence is definitively abandoned. »
He concluded with Africa, citing “ the affected populations in Sudan and throughout the Sahel region, in the Horn of Africa, in the Kivu region in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Cape Delgado province in Mozambique “. And ended with a prayer for “ migrants and those going through periods of economic difficulty” and “the poorest families “.
The Pope also launched a powerful call for respect for human life at the end of his speech: “How often the precious gift of life is despised. How many children can’t even see the light? How many are dying of hunger, deprived of essential care or victims of abuse and violence? How many lives are being commodified in the growing human trade? On this day when Christ has freed us from the slavery of death, I urge those in political responsibilities to spare no effort in combating the scourge of human trafficking, working tirelessly to dismantle the exploitation networks and restore freedom to those who are their victims. »
“The path to peace in the midst of war”
The one who represents the first Christian Church in the world, Catholicism – 1.378 billion faithful – added: “ Jesus Christ is resurrected and He alone is able to roll away the stones that close the path to life. He himself, the Living One, is the Way: the Way of life, of peace, of reconciliation, of fraternity. He opens the humanly impossible passage for us, because He alone takes away the sin of the world and forgives our sins. And without God’s forgiveness, this stone cannot be removed. Without the forgiveness of sins, we cannot escape from closures, from prejudices, from mutual suspicions, from presuppositions which always absolve oneself and accuse others. Only the resurrected Christ, by giving us forgiveness of sins, opens the way to a renewed world. »
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Indeed, he explained “ Even today, heavy, too heavy stones block the hopes of humanity: the stone of war, the stone of humanitarian crises, the stone of human rights violations, the stone of human trafficking , and even more. » But, for the Pope, “itIt is through this empty tomb that a new way passes, the way that no one but God could open: the way of life in the midst of death, the way of peace in the midst of war, the way of reconciliation in the midst of hatred, the path of fraternity in the midst of enmity. » Concluding « He alone opens the doors of life to us, these doors that we continually close with the wars that spread throughout the world. »