Pope’s Easter message, greetings, blessing

(April 4, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI on Easter Sunday delivered his Easter message and blessing, “Urbi et Orbi”, urging Christians to a life-long renewal of self in the spirit of Baptism. The Pope delivers the “Urbi et Orbi” - the Latin for “to the city (of Rome) and to the world” - twice a year, once at Christmas and the other at Easter. Pope Benedict ushered in the Easter season with a vigil Mass Saturday night in St. Peter’s Basilica. He rested a few hours only to be up again for Easter Sunday Mass in the morning in St. Peter’s Square. After Mass he went up to the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and delivered his Urbi et Orbi Easter message and blessing and also greeted the world in 65 languages.
“Let us sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph!” In these words of Easter vigil’s Liturgy of the hours, Pope Benedict said he was bringing them the Easter proclamation. Speaking in Italian, he explained that in these words of the Liturgy echo the ancient hymn of praise sung by the Israelites after crossing the Red Sea as narrated in the Book of Exodus. This “exodus”, the Pope said, takes place first of all within man himself, and it consists in a new birth in the Holy Spirit, the effect of the baptism that Christ has given us in his Paschal Mystery.
Continuing in Italian, Pope Benedict explained that the old man yields his place to the new man; the old life is left behind, and a new life can begin. But, he said that this spiritual “exodus” is the beginning of an integral liberation, capable of renewing us in every dimension – human, personal and social. “Easter is the true salvation of humanity,” the Pope said, adding, “If Christ – the Lamb of God – had not poured out his blood for us, we would be without hope, our destiny and the destiny of the whole world would inevitably be death.” But Easter, he said, has reversed that trend: Christ’s resurrection is a new creation, like a graft that can regenerate the whole plant. It is an event that has profoundly changed the course of history, tipping the scales once and for all on the side of good, of life, of pardon.
Pope Benedict said that “The Christian people, having emerged from the waters of baptism, is sent out to the whole world to bear witness to this salvation, to bring to all people the fruit of Easter, which consists in a new life, freed from sin and restored to its original beauty, to its goodness and truth. Continually, in the course of two thousand years, he said, Christians – especially saints – have made history fruitful with their lived experience of Easter. The Church is the people of the Exodus, because she constantly lives the Paschal Mystery and disseminates its renewing power in every time and place. In our days too, humanity needs an “exodus”, not just superficial adjustment, but a spiritual and moral conversion. It needs the salvation of the Gospel, so as to emerge from a profound crisis, one which requires deep change, beginning with consciences.
Pope Benedict then drew attention to the situation in the troubled Middle East, especially in the Holy Land. He prayed to the Lord Jesus that in the Middle East, and especially in the land sanctified by his death and resurrection, people will accomplish a true and definitive “exodus” from war and violence to peace and concord. To the Christian communities who are experiencing trials and sufferings, especially in Iraq, the Risen Lord repeats those consoling and encouraging words that he addressed to the Apostles in the Upper Room: “Peace be with you!”
The Pontiff also turned his attention to Latin America and the Caribbean where he said there is “a dangerous resurgence of crimes linked to drug trafficking.” He wished that 2Easter signal the victory of peaceful coexistence and respect for the common good.” He also wished that the beloved people of Haiti, devastated by the appalling tragedy of the earthquake, accomplish their own “exodus” from mourning and from despair to a new hope, supported by international solidarity. Pope Benedict also remembered the quake-hit people of Chile, hoping the nation “set about the task of reconstruction with tenacity, supported by their faith.”
Pope Benedict remembered Africa and hoped that in the strength of the risen Jesus, the conflicts which continue to cause destruction and suffering in the continent may come to an end, and that peace and reconciliation be attained, as guarantees of development. In particular, the Holy Father entrusted to the Lord the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Nigeria.
In his Easter Urbi et Orbi message Pope Benedict also remembered Christians who suffer persecution and even death, as in Pakistan. “To the countries afflicted by terrorism and by social and religious discrimination, may He grant the strength to undertake the work of building dialogue and serene coexistence,” the Pope prayed.
Pope Benedict also prayed that Easter bring light and strength to the leaders of nations, so that economic and financial activity may finally be driven by the criteria of truth, justice and fraternal aid. “May the saving power of Christ’s resurrection fill all of humanity, so that it may overcome the multiple tragic expressions of a “culture of death” which are becoming increasingly widespread, so as to build a future of love and truth in which every human life is respected and welcomed.”
At the end of his Easter message, Pope Benedict XVI delivered Easter greetings in 65 languages of the world, including in Latin, the Vatican’s official language. Among them were greetings in 15 Asian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Burmese, Urdu and Sinhala.
Listen to greetings in Asian languages:
At the end of his greetings in various languages, the Pope imparted his special Easter blessing Urbi et Orbi. A cardinal accompanying the Pope announced that all those present in St. Peter’s Square and those following the event on television and radio around the world could obtain a plenary indulgence according to rules established by the Church. According to Catholic teaching, every sin entails a punishment even after it is forgiven through the Sacrament of Penance. By means of a plenary indulgence the full remission of the temporal punishment is obtained. The basic requirements set by the church for all plenary indulgences are: that within a reasonably short period of time, the person goes to confession, receives the Eucharist and prays for the intentions of the pope, all in a spirit of total detachment from the attraction of sin. Hence those receiving the Pope’s Easter Blessing could obtain a plenary indulgence.
Listen to blessing: