From the loggia of St. Peter's, Francis gave his blessing with a voice weakened by illness. In his Urbi et Orbi message, read by the master of papal ceremonies, his gaze turms to armed conflicts and trade wars, but also at lives wounded in their mothers' wombs, the elderly and migrants. ‘May the ceasefire be a sign of hope for Myanmar’.
Cardinal Pizzaballa's homily in front of Jesus' empty tomb. “The world has a poor, even offensive idea of peace: too many promises have been betrayed and broken. Our Church must oppose the human logic of power, the dynamics of violence and war with the dynamics of life, justice and forgiveness.” Yesterday, tensions between Orthodox faithful and Israeli police over restrictions on access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
From Myanmar to the Middle East, countless women, children and men in Asia, victims of pain and injustice, weep like Mary Magdalene who lost her Lord and friend. But with her, they believe that the Risen One changes the course of history and allows us to trust that the forces of good will prevail over those of evil.
The testimony of a catechumen who will be baptised this Easter in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Mumbai. ‘This journey has shown me that no matter how low you have fallen, God's love can reach even deeper. Just take a step towards Him and He will run to you."
Despite officially banning palm oil cultivation in 2021 due to its environmental impact, large companies involved in this market continue their activities in the country, where consumption of this ingredient remains high. The measure ultimately discourages the introduction of new plant varieties that could represent a solution to the problem, as they have a more limited impact on water resources.
For Orthodox Christians, Holy Week – which this year coincides with Catholic Holy Week – is the ‘True Week’, the week that speaks of the ultimate truth about the destiny of mankind. Perhaps this is why Putin's Russia has decided to unleash its full military might on Ukraine at this particular time. Meanwhile, the website of the Moscow Patriarchate links Easter to May 9, Victory Day.
