Dear Brothers and Sisters! Christus resurrexit!
- Christ is risen! During last night’s great Vigil we relived the decisive and
ever-present event of the Resurrection, the central mystery of the Christian faith.
Innumerable Paschal candles were lit in churches, to symbolize the light of Christ
which has enlightened and continues to enlighten humanity, conquering the darkness
of sin and death for ever. And today there re-echo powerfully the words which dumbfounded
the women on the morning of the first day after the Sabbath, when they came to the
tomb where Christ’s body, taken down in haste from the Cross, had been laid. Sad
and disconsolate over the loss of their Master, they found the great stone rolled
away, and when they entered they saw that his body was no longer there. As they stood
there, uncertain and bewildered, two men in dazzling apparel surprised them, saying:
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, he is risen” (Lk 24:5-6).
“Non est hic, sed resurrexit” (Lk 24:6). Ever since that morning, these words have
not ceased to resound throughout the universe as a proclamation of joy which spans
the centuries unchanged and, at the same time, charged with infinite and ever new
resonances. “He is not here . . . he is risen.” The heavenly messengers announce
first and foremost that Jesus “is not here”: the Son of God did not remain in the
tomb, because it was not possible for him to be held prisoner by death (cf. Acts 2:24)
and the tomb could not hold on to “the living one” (Rev 1:18) who is the very source
of life. Like Jonah in the belly of the whale, so too Christ crucified was swallowed
up into the heart of the earth (cf. Mt 12:40) for the length of a Sabbath. Truly,
“that Sabbath was a high day”, as Saint John tells us (Jn 19:31): the highest in history,
because it was then that the “Lord of the Sabbath” (Mt 12:8) brought to fulfilment
the work of creation (cf. Gen 2:1-4a), raising man and the entire cosmos to the glorious
liberty of the children of God (cf. Rom 8:21). When this extraordinary work had been
accomplished, the lifeless body was suffused with the living breath of God and, as
the walls of the tomb were shattered, he rose in glory. That is why the angels proclaim
“he is not here”, he can no longer be found in the tomb. He made his pilgrim way
on earth among us, he completed his journey in the tomb as all men do, but he conquered
death and, in an absolutely new way, by an act of pure love, he opened the earth,
threw it open towards Heaven. His resurrection becomes our resurrection, through
Baptism which “incorporates” us into him. The prophet Ezekiel had foretold this:
“Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and
I will bring you home into the land of Israel” (Ez 37:12). These prophetic words
take on a singular value on Easter Day, because today the Creator’s promise is fulfilled;
today, even in this modern age marked by anxiety and uncertainty, we relive the event
of the Resurrection, which changed the face of our life and changed the history of
humanity. From the risen Christ, all those who are still oppressed by chains of suffering
and death look for hope, sometimes even without knowing it. 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
peoples of the Horn of Africa, of the Ivory Coast, Uganda, Zimbabwe and other nations
which aspire to reconciliation, justice and progress. In Iraq, may peace finally
prevail over the tragic violence that continues mercilessly to claim victims. I also
pray sincerely that those caught up in the conflict in the Holy Land may find peace,
and I invite all to patient and persevering dialogue, so as to remove both ancient
and new obstacles. 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. May the Spirit of the Risen one enkindle a renewed
enthusiastic commitment of the Countries of Latin America, so that the living conditions
of millions of citizens may be improved, the deplorable scourge of kidnapping may
be eradicated and democratic institutions may be consolidated in a spirit of harmony
and effective solidarity. Concerning the international crises linked to nuclear power,
may an honourable solution be found for all parties, through serious and honest negotiations,
and may the leaders of nations and of International Organizations be strengthened
in their will to achieve peaceful coexistence among different races, cultures and
religions, in order to remove the threat of terrorism. May the Risen Lord grant
that the strength of his life, peace and freedom be experienced everywhere. Today
the words with which the Angel reassured the frightened hearts of the women on Easter
morning are addressed to all: “Do not be afraid! ... He is not here; he is risen (Mt
28:5-6)”. Jesus is risen, and he gives us peace; he himself is peace. For this reason
the Church repeats insistently: “Christ is risen - Christós anésti.” Let the people
of the third millennium not be afraid to open their hearts to him. His Gospel totally
quenches the thirst for peace and happiness that is found in every human heart. Christ
is now alive and he walks with us. What an immense mystery of love! Christus resurrexit,
quia Deus caritas est! Alleluia!