Easter Message of Pope Benedict XVI (Full Text)

“In resurrectione tua, Christe, coel
et terra laetentur!
In your resurrection, O Christ, let
heaven and earth rejoice!” (Liturg
of the Hours).
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome
and across the world,
Easter morning brings us news tha
is ancient yet ever new: Christ is
risen! The echo of this event,
which issued forth from Jerusalem
twenty centuries ago, continues to
resound in the Church, deep in
whose heart lives the vibrant faith
of Mary, Mother of Jesus, the fait
of Mary Magdalene and the other
women who first discovered the
empty tomb, and the faith of Pete
and the other Apostles.
Right down to our own time –
even in these days of advanced
communications technology– the
faith of Christians is based on that
same news, on the testimony of
those sisters and brothers who sa
firstly the stone that had been
rolled away from the empty tomb
and then the mysterious
messengers who testified that
Jesus, the Crucified, was risen. An
then Jesus himself, the Lord and
Master, living and tangible,
appeared to Mary Magdalene, to
the two disciples on the road to
Emmaus, and finally to all eleven,
gathered in the Upper Room (cf.
Mk 16:9-14).
The resurrection of Christ is not
the fruit of speculation or mystical
experience: it is an event which,
while it surpasses history,
nevertheless happens at a precise
moment in history and leaves an
indelible mark upon it. The light
which dazzled the guards keeping
watch over Jesus’ tomb has
traversed time and space. It is a
different kind of light, a divine
light, that has rent asunder the
darkness of death and has
brought to the world the
splendour of God, the splendour
of Truth and Goodness.
Just as the sun’s rays in springtime
cause the buds on the branches o
the trees to sprout and open up,
so the radiance that streams forth
from Christ’s resurrection gives
strength and meaning to every
human hope, to every expectation,
wish and plan. Hence the entire
cosmos is rejoicing today, caught
up in the springtime of humanity,
which gives voice to creation’s
silent hymn of praise. The Easter
Alleluia, resounding in the Church
as she makes her pilgrim way
through the world, expresses the
silent exultation of the universe
and above all the longing of every
human soul that is sincerely open
to God, giving thanks to him for
his infinite goodness, beauty and
truth.
“In your resurrection, O Christ, let
heaven and earth rejoice.” To this
summons to praise, which arises
today from the heart of the
Church, the“heavens” respond
fully: the hosts of angels, saints
and blessed souls join with one
voice in our exultant song. In
heaven all is peace and gladness.
But alas, it is not so on earth!
Here, in this world of ours, the
Easter alleluia still contrasts with
the cries and laments that arise
from so many painful situations:
deprivation, hunger, disease, war,
violence. Yet it was for this that
Christ died and rose again! He
died on account of sin, including
ours today, he rose for the
redemption of history, including
our own. So my message today is
intended for everyone, and, as a
prophetic proclamation, it is
intended especially for peoples
and communities who are
undergoing a time of suffering,
that the Risen Christ may open up
for them the path of freedom,
justice and peace.
May the Land which was the first
to be flooded by the light of the
Risen One rejoice. May the
splendour of Christ reach the
peoples of the Middle East, so tha
the light of peace and of human
dignity may overcome the
darkness of division, hate and
violence. In the current conflict in
Libya, may diplomacy and dialogu
take the place of arms and may
those who suffer as a result of th
conflict be given access to
humanitarian aid. In the countries
of northern Africa and the Middle
East, may all citizens, especially
young people, work to promote
the common good and to build a
society where poverty is defeated
and every political choice is
inspired by respect for the human
person. May help come from all
sides to those fleeing conflict and
to refugees from various African
countries who have been obliged
to leave all that is dear to them;
may people of good will open
their hearts to welcome them, so
that the pressing needs of so man
brothers and sisters will be met
with a concerted response in a
spirit of solidarity; and may our
words of comfort and appreciatio
reach all those who make such
generous efforts and offer an
exemplary witness in this regard.
May peaceful coexistence be
restored among the peoples of
Ivory Coast, where there is an
urgent need to tread the path of
reconciliation and pardon, in orde
to heal the deep wounds caused
by the recent violence. May Japan
find consolation and hope as it
faces the dramatic consequences
of the recent earthquake, along
with other countries that in recent
months have been tested by
natural disasters which have sown
pain and anguish.
May heaven and earth rejoice at
the witness of those who suffer
opposition and even persecution
for their faith in Jesus Christ. May
the proclamation of his victorious
resurrection deepen their courage
and trust.
Dear brothers and sisters! The
risen Christ is journeying ahead of
us towards the new heavens and
the new earth (cf. Rev 21:1), in
which we shall all finally live as
one family, as sons of the same
Father. He is with us until the end
of time. Let us walk behind him, i
this wounded world, singing
Alleluia. In our hearts there is joy
and sorrow, on our faces there
are smiles and tears. Such is our
earthly reality. But Christ is risen,
he is alive and he walks with us.
For this reason we sing and we
walk, faithfully carrying out our
task in this world with our gaze
fixed on heaven.