(16 April, 2006) Pope Benedict XVI, in his first Easter message, focussed on several
trouble spots of the world saying the world is in need of the peace and hope of the
Risen Lord. The German Pope, speaking on his 79th birthday, made his appeal for
world peace in his Easter "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city of Rome and to the world) message
to some 100,000 people. The Pope, who marks the first anniversary of his election
on Wednesday, led a joyful Easter mass in a sunny St Peter's Square on the most important
day of the Christian liturgical calendar, when the faithful celebrate Christ's resurrection
from the dead. In the speech read in Italian and televised to millions of viewers
in more than 65 countries at the end of Easter Sunday mass in the square, the head
of the Roman Catholic Church listed his worries about a world he said was living through
"uncertainty and anxiety" and oppressed by widespread suffering. “May the Spirit
of the Risen one, in particular, bring relief and security in Africa to the peoples
of Darfur, who are living in a dramatic humanitarian situation that is no longer sustainable;
to those of the Great Lakes region, where many wounds have yet to be healed; to the
various peoples of Africa, who aspire to reconciliation, justice and development,”
the Pope said. The Pope also drew attention to troubles in Iraq and the Holy
Land. “May peace finally prevail in Iraq, where tragic violence mercilessly continues
to claim victims,” he said. Pope Benedict prayed that those engaged in the conflict
in the Holy Land may find peace, and invited all to a patient and persevering dialogue,
so as to remove both ancient and new obstacles, avoiding the temptation to seek revenge
and educating new generations to reciprocal respect. “May the international community,
which re-affirms Israel’s just right to exist in peace, assist the Palestinian people
to overcome the precarious conditions in which they live and to build their future,
moving towards the constitution of a state that is truly their own,” the Pope said. In
a clear reference to Iran’s standoff with the international community over its nuclear
capability, the Pope urged for an "honourable solution." "Concerning the international
crises linked to nuclear power, may an honourable solution be found for all parties,
through serious and honest negotiations ...” he said and called on leaders of nations
and of international organizations to “strengthened their will to achieve peaceful
coexistence among different races, cultures and religions, in order to remove the
threat of terrorism.” The Pope also delivered brief Easter greetings in 62 languages
including in several Asian languages. Receive his special
Easter Blessing ‘Urbi et Orbi’: