Pope Francis' Urbi et Orbi: He spoke about Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, the Western Balkans and called for lasting peace

(Patria) - On the feast of Easter, March 31, Pope Francis delivered the Urbi et Orbi message, to the city and the world, which we are transmitting in its entirety.

"Today, the proclamation that started from Jerusalem two thousand years ago echoes throughout the world: 'Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified, is risen!' (cf. Mk 16:6).

The Church relives the amazement of the women who went to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. A great stone had been rolled against Jesus’ tomb. Today too, great, very great stones of difficulty block the hope of humanity: the stone of war, the stone of humanitarian crises, the stone of human rights violations, the stone of human trafficking, and others. And we, like the women disciples of Jesus, ask ourselves: 'Who will roll away the stone for us?' (cf. Mk 16:3).

And here is the discovery on Easter morning: the stone, that very large stone, has already been rolled away. The women’s amazement is our amazement: Jesus’ tomb is open and empty! From here everything begins. Through this empty tomb a new path opens, a path that none of us could have opened, but only God: the path of life in the midst of death, the path of peace in the midst of war, the path of reconciliation in the midst of hatred, the path of fraternity in the midst of hostility.

Brothers and sisters, Christ is risen, He alone is able to remove the stones blocking the path to life. Indeed, He Himself, the Living One, is the Way: the Way of life, of peace, of reconciliation, of fraternity. He opens for us, humanly speaking, an impossible passage, because only He takes away the sin of the world and forgives our sins. For without God’s forgiveness, this stone cannot be removed. Without the forgiveness of sins, there is no way out of the closures, prejudices, mutual suspicions, self-righteousness in which one always absolves oneself and accuses others. Only the Risen Christ, by granting us the forgiveness of sins, opens the way to a renewed world.

He alone opens the doors of life to us, those doors that we constantly close with the wars spreading throughout the world. Today, our gaze is directed first and foremost towards the Holy City of Jerusalem, the witness to the mystery of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection, and towards all the Christian communities in the Holy Land.

My thoughts are especially with the victims of the many conflicts currently underway in the world, starting with the wars in Israel and Palestine, as well as in Ukraine. May the Risen Christ open the way of peace for the suffering populations of those regions. While calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine on the principle of 'all for all'!

Furthermore, I again appeal to guarantee the possibility of access to humanitarian aid in Gaza and reiterate my call for the immediate release of the hostages abducted on October 7 last year, as well as for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Let us not allow current hostilities to have serious consequences for the already exhausted civilian population, especially children. How much suffering we see in the eyes of children. These children have forgotten how to smile in countries at war. With their gaze, they ask us: why? Why so much death? Why so much destruction? War is always absurd, war is always a defeat! Let us not allow the winds of war to blow ever stronger over Europe and the Mediterranean. We must not succumb to the logic of arms and rearmament. Peace is never built with weapons, but with outstretched hands and open hearts.

Brothers and sisters, let us not forget Syria, which has been suffering the consequences of a long and devastating war for fourteen years. So many dead and missing, so much poverty and destruction await a response from everyone, including the international community.

My gaze today is particularly directed towards Lebanon, where there has been a blockage of institutions and a deep economic and social crisis for some time, now further aggravated by hostilities on the border with Israel. May the Risen One comfort the beloved Lebanese people and support the entire country in its vocation to be a land of encounter, coexistence, and pluralism.

My thoughts are especially with the Western Balkans, where significant steps are being taken towards integration into the European project: ethnic, cultural, and religious differences must not be a cause for division, but should become a source of richness for all of Europe and the entire world.

I also encourage the dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan so that, with the help of the international community, dialogue can continue, the displaced can be assisted, places of worship of various religious confessions can be respected, and a final peace agreement can be reached as soon as possible.

May the Risen Christ open the path of hope to those who in other parts of the world suffer violence, conflicts, food insecurity, as well as the consequences of climate change. May He bring comfort to the victims of all forms of terrorism. We pray for those who have lost their lives and pray for the repentance and conversion of the perpetrators of these crimes.

May the Risen One help the people of Haiti so that the violence that tears and causes bloodshed in that country may cease as soon as possible, so that they can progress on the path of democracy and fraternity.

May He bring comfort to the Rohingya, affected by a severe humanitarian crisis, and open the path of reconciliation in Myanmar, torn by internal conflicts for years, so that the logic of violence may be rejected once and for all.

May the Lord open the path of peace on the African continent, especially for the suffering populations in Sudan and the entire Sahel region, the Horn of Africa, the Kivu region in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the province of Cabo Delgado in Mozambique, and may He bring an end to the prolonged drought affecting large areas and causing poverty and hunger.

May the Risen One illuminate with His light migrants and those going through a period of economic hardship, offering them comfort and hope in their time of need. May Christ guide all people of good will to unite in solidarity, so that together they may face the many challenges that loom over the poorest families in their search for a better life and happiness.

On this day, when we celebrate the life given to us in the resurrection of the Son, let us remember God’s infinite love for each of us: a love that transcends every boundary and every weakness. And yet, how often is the precious gift of life despised. How many children cannot even see the light? How many die of hunger or are deprived of basic medicine or are victims of abuse and violence? How many lives are traded because of the ever-increasing human trafficking?

Dear brothers and sisters, on this day when Christ has freed us from the slavery of death, I call on all those with political responsibility to spare no effort in the fight against the scourge of human trafficking, working tirelessly to dismantle the network of exploitation, and to bring freedom to all those who are its victims. May the Lord comfort their families, especially those who anxiously await news of their loved ones, assuring them of comfort and hope.

May the Easter light enlighten our minds and convert our hearts so that we may become aware of the value of every human life, which must be welcomed, protected, and loved.

Happy Easter to all.