Dear brothers and sisters: Happy Easter!
Today, the Church’s announcement echoes around the world: “Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!”
This Good News has ignited like a new flame in the night, in the night of a world already facing crucial challenges and now overwhelmed by the pandemic, which subjects our great human family to a harsh test. Tonight, the voice of the Church resounds: «My love and hope have truly risen!»» (Sequence of Easter).
It is another “contagion,” transmitted from heart to heart, because every human heart awaits this Good News. It is the contagion of hope: «My love and hope have truly risen!» Not a magic formula that makes problems disappear. No, that is not the resurrection of Christ, but the victory of love over the root of evil, a victory that does not “pass over” suffering and death, but pierces through them, opening a path in the abyss, transforming evil into good, a distinctive sign of God’s power.
The Risen One is none other than the Crucified. He bears in His glorious body the indelible wounds, wounds that become beacons of hope. We turn our gaze to Him so that He may heal the wounds of desolate humanity.
Today I especially think of those directly affected by the coronavirus: the sick, those who have died, and the families mourning the loss of loved ones, some of whom could not even say goodbye. May the Lord of life welcome the deceased into His kingdom, and bring comfort and hope to those still enduring the trial, especially the elderly and those who are alone. May He grant His consolation and the necessary graces to those in particularly vulnerable conditions, as well as to those working in health centers, or living in barracks and prisons. For many, it is an Easter of loneliness, lived amid the numerous mourning and difficulties caused by the pandemic, from physical suffering to economic problems.
This disease is not only depriving us of affection but also of the possibility of seeking in person the comfort that flows from the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation. In many countries, it has not been possible to approach them, but the Lord has not abandoned us. By remaining united in prayer, we are confident that He covers us with His hand (cf. Sal138,5), repeating strongly: Do not be afraid, “I have risen and I am still with you” (Entrance Antiphon of the Easter Mass, Roman Missal).
May Jesus, our Passover, grant strength and hope to doctors and nurses, who everywhere offer a testimony of care and love for neighbor to exhaustion and, often, even at the cost of their own health. To them, as well as to those diligently working to ensure essential services for civil coexistence, to law enforcement and military personnel, who in many countries have helped mitigate the difficulties and suffering of the population, we send our affectionate remembrance and gratitude.
In these weeks, the lives of millions of people have changed suddenly. For many, staying at home has been an opportunity to reflect, to slow down the frantic pace of life, to be with loved ones, and enjoy their company. But it is also a time of concern for an uncertain future, for jobs at risk, and for other consequences of the current crisis. I encourage those with political responsibilities to actively work for the common good of citizens, providing the means and tools necessary so that everyone can live with dignity and, when circumstances allow, to resume normal daily activities.
This is not the time for indifference, because the whole world is suffering and must be united to face the pandemic. May the risen Jesus grant hope to all the poor, to those living on the peripheries, to refugees, and to those without a home. May these weaker brothers and sisters, living in cities and outskirts around the world, not feel alone. Let us ensure they lack nothing essential, especially now when many businesses are closed, and medicines and, above all, adequate health care are harder to access. Considering the circumstances, international sanctions on affected countries should be eased, preventing them from providing adequate aid to their citizens, and all nations should address the great needs of the moment, reducing or even forgiving debts weighing on the budgets of the poorest.
This is not the time for selfishness, because the challenge we face unites us all and makes no one exempt. Among the many areas affected by the coronavirus, I especially think of Europe. After World War II, this continent was able to rise again thanks to a true spirit of solidarity that allowed it to overcome past rivalries. It is urgent, especially now, that those rivalries do not regain strength, but that everyone recognizes themselves as part of one family and supports each other. Today, the European Union faces a historic challenge, which will determine not only its future but that of the entire world. Let it not miss the opportunity to demonstrate, once again, solidarity, even through innovative solutions. This is the only alternative to selfishness and the temptation to return to the past, risking to test peaceful coexistence and the development of future generations.
This is not the time for division. May Christ, our peace, enlighten those responsible for conflicts, so they have the courage to heed the call for a global and immediate ceasefire in all corners of the world. This is not the moment to continue manufacturing and selling weapons, spending large sums of money that could be used to care for people and save lives. Instead, let it be a time to end the long war that has bloodied beloved Syria, the conflict in Yemen, tensions in Iraq, and also in Lebanon. May it be the time for Israelis and Palestinians to resume dialogue and find a stable, lasting solution that allows both to live in peace. May the suffering of the population in eastern Ukraine end. May terrorist attacks against innocent people in various African countries cease.
This is not the time for forgetting. May the crisis we are facing not cause us to overlook other emergency situations that bring suffering to many. May the Lord of life be close to the populations of Asia and Africa enduring severe humanitarian crises, such as in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique. May He comfort the hearts of refugees and displaced persons fleeing wars, droughts, and hardships. May He protect the many migrants and refugees—many of whom are children—living in unbearable conditions, especially in Libya and at the Greece-Turkey border. And I do not want to forget the island of Lesbos. May practical and immediate solutions be reached in Venezuela, aimed at facilitating international aid to those suffering due to the grave political, socio-economic, and health crisis.
Dear brothers and sisters:
The words we truly want to hear in this time are not indifference, selfishness, division, and forgetfulness. We want to erase them forever! These words seem to prevail when fear and death triumph within us; that is, when we do not let the Lord Jesus triumph in our hearts and lives. May He, who has already conquered death by opening the way to eternal salvation, dispel the darkness of our poor humanity and lead us into His glorious day that knows no sunset.
With these reflections, I wish you all a happy Easter.
