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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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VATICAN CITY, APRIL 8, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of Benedict XVI's Easter message delivered today at midday before he imparted his blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city of Rome and the world).
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Dear brothers and sisters throughout the world,
Men and women of good will!
Christ is risen! Peace to you! Today we celebrate the great mystery, the foundation of Christian faith and hope: Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified One, has risen from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures. We listen today with renewed emotion to the announcement proclaimed by the angels on the dawn of the first day after the Sabbath, to Mary of Magdala and to the women at the sepulcher: "Why do you search among the dead for one who is alive? He is not here, he is risen!" (Luke 24:5-6).
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The archbishop of Philadelphia said in a letter sent Wednesday to the Senate that the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 would "encourage deliberate attacks on innocent human life in the name of medical progress."
Cardinal Rigali, who is the chairman of the Committee for Pro-life Activities of the U.S. bishops' conference, emphasized that the stem cell issue is not a matter of supporting versus opposing progress.
"The question is whether our technical progress is guided by an equally advanced sense of the dignity of each and every human life," the cardinal wrote.
Cardinal Rigali noted that ethically sound research using non-embryonic cells has continued to advance. "It seems virtually every byproduct of live birth -- amniotic fluid, amniotic membrane, placenta, cord blood, and the tissue of the umbilical cord itself -- contains stem cells that may rival embryonic stem cells in their flexibility."
The cardinal told the senators: "Please support medical progress that we can all live with."
Code: ZE07040811
Date: 2007-04-08
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VATICAN CITY, APRIL 8, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The resurrection of Christ gives hope to a world afflicted by natural disasters, disease and violence, said Benedict XVI in his Easter message.
After celebrating Easter Mass today, and before imparting the blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city of Rome and the world), the Pope read a message in which he said that "natural calamities and human tragedies that cause innumerable victims and enormous material destruction are not lacking."
"Through the wounds of the Risen Christ we can see the evils which afflict humanity with the eyes of hope," the Pontiff said from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to the crowds gathered in the square below on a sunny morning.
Hundreds of millions more people, in 67 countries, followed the event on radio or television.
Benedict XVI said in his message that his "thoughts go to recent events in Madagascar, in the Solomon Islands, in Latin America and in other regions of the world."
Catastrophe
"I am thinking of the scourge of hunger, of incurable diseases, of terrorism and kidnapping of people, of the thousand faces of violence which some people attempt to justify in the name of religion, of contempt for life, of the violation of human rights and the exploitation of persons," he said.
In particular, the Pontiff mentioned the several regions in Africa undergoing a "catastrophic" humanitarian situation, including Darfur and surrounding nations.
The Holy Father also mentioned the scourge of violence in Kinshasa in Congo, and in Somalia and Zimbabwe.
Benedict XVI said that "peace is sorely needed" in many places in the world, including East Timor, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
The Pope continued: "In the Middle East, besides some signs of hope in the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian authority, nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees.
"In Lebanon the paralysis of the country's political institutions threatens the role that the country is called to play in the Middle East and puts its future seriously in jeopardy."
Christian exodus
The Holy Father then added: "I cannot forget the difficulties faced daily by the Christian communities and the exodus of Christians from that blessed land which is the cradle of our faith. I affectionately renew to these populations the expression of my spiritual closeness."
The Pope continued: "By his rising the Lord has not taken away suffering and evil from the world, but has vanquished them at their roots by the superabundance of his grace.
"He has countered the arrogance of evil with the supremacy of his love."
After reading his message, Benedict XVI wished the world a happy Easter in 62 languages and imparted his blessing "urbi et orbi."
In English, the Pope said: "May the grace and joy of the Risen Christ be with you all."
In the afternoon the Holy Father departed for the summer papal residence at Castel Gandolfo, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of Rome, to rest for a few days.
The Pontiff will return to Rome before his 80th birthday, April 16, and the second anniversary of his election as Pope, April 19.
Code: ZE07040804
Date: 2007-04-08
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"We Reach for the Power of the Resurrection" JERUSALEM, APRIL 7, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is the Easter Message sent by the patriarchs and heads of local churches in Jerusalem.
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Sisters and brothers here and in all the world, we greet you in the name of our Risen Lord and ask God to fill you with the joy and the strength of the resurrection.
Having opposed early Christians and, indeed, sought to bring many of them to trial for their faith, St. Paul was suddenly challenged by our Blessed Lord as he journeyed to Damascus. Within a short time he became a powerful messenger for Jesus. Reading his various epistles we see he has much to say on many aspects of the Christian faith.
The statement he sets before the Philippians is regarded by many people as the most powerful: "All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share his sufferings."
In this short sentence he links the cross and the Resurrection. The sufferings he had to face for his faith lead him to become conscious of the power of the Resurrection given to those who truly believe, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Yet again, recent months have shown us much of the hardships and sufferings people have to endure, not least in this land. Much of this burden has arisen from man's inhumanity to men together with the deprivation of basic human dignity and rights, all caused by the siege imposed upon us.
Our Blessed Lord challenges all of us; if we are to be his disciples we must take up our cross and follow him. In the midst of sufferings, we reach for the power of the Resurrection and the power of the Spirit that enables us to take away the oppressions that are imposed upon us.
So, as we celebrate the joy of Easter we must examine carefully where we stand in relation to God. Many of us need to abandon the selfish instinct within us. If we truly seek the power of the Resurrection in our lives, then we must disregard any idea we might have of self-sufficiency or worldly hopes that hide from our eyes the things of heaven and of the Spirit.
If we believe in the Resurrection, we must affirm that our security is with God and in the power of the Resurrection. Again St. Paul reminds us when writing to the Corinthians: "But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us" (2 Corinthians 4:7).
Despite our weakness and despite the unjust circumstances imposed upon us, the power of God can free us if we come to understand the logic of the Spirit in us and if we behave accordingly.
On the first Good Friday, the disciples of Jesus doubtlessly felt shattered. However, gradually their faith was restored as they became conscious of their Risen Lord. Their own personal darkness of fear and uncertainty was suddenly illuminated by the light of Jesus' resurrection.
So, as we celebrate the Resurrection we must be more diligent in searching for the light and in using it to build a better tomorrow for all of us, Palestinians or Israelis, Muslims, Jews, Christians and Druzes. We search for the light that comes from God, illuminates all creation, guides every true believer in his search to find God's freedom for all, together with his peace and justice.
As we greet our sisters and brothers across the world, we wish them the joy of Easter and the power of the Risen Lord in their daily lives. While conscious of the care and concern shown by many of you, we again ask for your particular prayers for this land, that God will guide all its governors and show them the path of justice and equality among all.
Pray for the newly formed Unity Government of the Palestinians together with the Israeli Government and the Arab Initiative, to work to remove fear and all oppression, the walls, the barriers and the prisons, so that hearts become full of trust and all can enjoy the same freedom and the same dignity.
Then we would ask that you make a particular effort to encourage your particular nation to stop the embargo imposed upon us and to restore its aid to the Palestinians. Many vital areas of community are in a desperate plight as a result of the withholding of this aid, not least [among them, areas of] justice, economy, medicine and education, etc. …
As all Christians across the world celebrate Easter together we wish everyone, at home and abroad, that joy which our Blessed Lord's resurrection brings. We ask God to bestow upon all the joy and the power of the resurrection so that the words of Jesus become real as he said: "I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!
May you experience a happy and holy Easter!
Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem
Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem
Patriarch Michel Sabbah, R.C. Latin
Patriarch Torkom I Manooghian, Armenian Orthodox
Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, Custos of the Holy Land
Archbishop Anba Abraham, Coptic Orthodox
Archbishop Swerios Malki Murad, Syrian-Orthodox
Archbishop Abouna Mattias, Ethiopian Orthodox
Archbishop Paul Sayyah, Maronite
Bishop Suheil Dawani, Anglican
Bishop Munib Younan, Lutheran
Bishop Pierre Malki, Syrian-Catholic
Archbishop Georges Michel Bakar, Greek Catholic
Father Rafael Minassian, Armenian Catholic
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Code: ZE07040726
Date: 2007-04-07
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"Our God Is Not a Distant God"
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 7, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's remarks at the conclusion of the Way of the Cross, celebrated at the Colosseum on Good Friday.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Following Jesus along the way of his passion we see not only Jesus' passion but we see all those who are suffering in the world. And this is the profound intention of the prayer of the Way of the Cross, to open our hearts, to help us to see with the heart.
The Fathers of the Church considered the greatest sin of the pagan world to be their insensitivity, their hardness of heart, and they loved the prophesy of the prophet Ezekiel: "I will take away your heart of stone and will give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).
Converting to Christ, becoming Christian, meant receiving a heart of flesh, a heart sensitive to the passion and the suffering of others. Our God is not a distant God, untouchable in his blessedness. Our God has a heart, indeed a heart of flesh. He became flesh precisely to suffer with us and to be with us in our sufferings. He became man to give us a heart of flesh and to awaken in us a love for those who suffer, for those in need.
Let us pray to the Lord in this hour for all those in the world who are suffering, let us pray to the Lord that he truly give us a heart of flesh, that he make us messengers of his love not only with words but with our entire life. Amen.
[Transcribed and translated by ZENIT]
Code: ZE07040727
Date: 2007-04-07
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VIENNA, Austria, APRIL 7, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a reflection on Easter written by Russian Orthodox Bishop Hilarion Alfeev of Vienna and Austria. He is the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church of Moscow to the European Community.
He has shared this meditation with ZENIT to mark that the date of Easter is shared this year by both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
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The Resurrection of Christ went by just as unnoticed as his birth, for nobody saw Christ leaving the tomb. And from the very first days after the resurrection, doubt took hold of many people, even Christ's closest disciples, even those who knew and loved him.