The Pope’s Urbi et Orbi message on the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Against a backdrop where war is felt everywhere this year, the Pope did not mention specific places but invited people to reflect on the ‘true strength’ that reconciles humanity by overcoming indifference. A special prayer vigil for peace has been called, which the Pope will preside over on 11 April in St Peter’s Basilica.
The Easter message from the editorial director of AsiaNews: ‘From Lebanon to Myanmar, and to the streets of Hong Kong, a long ordeal of suffering. May the spirit of the Risen Jesus, present in our time and in our world, bring comfort and grant peace and freedom.’
In many Catholic communities across Asia, the sacrament of Christian initiation for adults is celebrated during the Easter Vigil. The testimony of Iwane Toshiya, published on the Japanese Catholics’ website. His encounter with the Catholic community through his wife and his daughters’ questions. “Little by little, I felt that surprising words such as those of the Beatitudes were entering my daily life.”
The Franciscan Amedeo Ricco – one of the key figures in the excavations that have brought to light new evidence supporting the Gospel accounts – comments on the celebrations in Jerusalem following the ‘incident’ on Palm Sunday. ‘We are experiencing a quieter Easter, which takes us back to our roots. But the Sepulchre remains the living heart from which to proclaim that death does not have the final say.’
A Russian online platform is currently broadcasting a series of documentaries entitled ‘The Living Word’, dedicated to great figures of Orthodoxy who were killed in the years following the Bolshevik Revolution. These figures remind us that one can give one’s life for ideals that unite religious faith, evangelical charity and love for one’s homeland – not to destroy the enemy, but to build a new world.
Today’s headlines: US and Iranian forces continue the search for the American pilot who went missing after his aircraft was shot down; Tokyo wants to ease restrictions on defence exports, opening the door to lethal weapons; At least eight people have died in Afghanistan following a 5.9-magnitude earthquake; The Phnom Penh Parliament approves first legislation to combat online scam centres.
