Pope Francis: Appeal for peace in his Catholic Easter message – 2024-04-02 15:56:22

Pope Francis, in his Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World) message at the end of the Catholic Easter liturgy, referred again to the need for peace to prevail. In St. Peter’s Square, over 60,000 believers watched the pope’s message.

The pontiff read his message in which, among other things, he underlined:

“Through the empty tomb of Jesus passes the new way, the one that none of us, but only God, could open. The road that passes through death. The path of peace in the midst of war, of reconciliation in the midst of hatred, of fraternity in the midst of enmity,” the Pope emphasized. At times, his voice was hoarse, but he finished reading his detailed message to the faithful normally.

“My thoughts go out especially to the victims of so many conflicts going on around the world, starting with Israel, Palestine, Ukraine. May the Risen Lord open a path of peace for the populations that suffer so much in these areas. I call for respect for the principles of international law and wish for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. All for all!”, emphasized the pontiff.

Pope Francis also called for humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza, for the October 7 hostages to be released, and for an immediate ceasefire to be signed in the Gaza Strip.

“Let us not allow the ongoing hostilities to have a serious impact on the civilian population, especially children. How much pain we see in their eyes. With their look they ask us, why? Why so many deaths? Why so much destruction? War is always absurdity and defeat. Let us not let the winds of war, stronger and stronger, blow in Europe and the Mediterranean. Let us not succumb to the logic of weapons and armaments. “Peace is never built with weapons, but by shaking hands and opening hearts,” the pope emphasized.

The Argentine pontiff, in his message, referred to the situation in Syria, Lebanon and the region of the Western Balkans in which, as he emphasized, “important steps are being taken towards the completion of the European plan”. Finally, Pope Francis called for “increased efforts to combat the scourge of human trafficking.”