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BRUSSELS (AP) -- Belgian prosecutors announced Saturday they have charged three men with terror offenses over the suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and subway, as organizers cancelled a solidarity rally at the government's request because police are too strapped to cope....
Kenya’s Archbishop of Mombasa, Martin Kivuva Musonde has encouraged Kenyans to walk the path of integrity. In his Easter message to Kenyans, the Archbishop said Kenyans needed to cultivate integrity in their lives.“Kenya is currently battling with all these issues of corruption, the stealing of public funds and so on … let us walk the path of integrity,” the Mombasa prelate said.Making reference to the 22 March Brussels Airport terrorist attack, in which 31 persons died, and 330 people were injured, Archbishop Kivuva said death can never have the last word in the life of a Christian.“Easter this year comes with the backdrop of the Brussels attack in Belgium. Many people died, and hundreds were injured. These events obviously dishearten us but death can never erode our hope,” Archbishop Kivuva said. He added, “At Easter Christ who died is once again alive. When we encounter tough moments in our lives, we also know that our hope in Ch...
Kenya’s Archbishop of Mombasa, Martin Kivuva Musonde has encouraged Kenyans to walk the path of integrity. In his Easter message to Kenyans, the Archbishop said Kenyans needed to cultivate integrity in their lives.
“Kenya is currently battling with all these issues of corruption, the stealing of public funds and so on … let us walk the path of integrity,” the Mombasa prelate said.
Making reference to the 22 March Brussels Airport terrorist attack, in which 31 persons died, and 330 people were injured, Archbishop Kivuva said death can never have the last word in the life of a Christian.
“Easter this year comes with the backdrop of the Brussels attack in Belgium. Many people died, and hundreds were injured. These events obviously dishearten us but death can never erode our hope,” Archbishop Kivuva said. He added, “At Easter Christ who died is once again alive. When we encounter tough moments in our lives, we also know that our hope in Christ is alive. This faith gives us the assurance that one day, things will be better in our lives,” the Archbishop of Mombasa emphasised.
Archbishop Kivuva has further urged Kenyans never to take peace for granted.
“Kenyans, let us thank God for the peace we still enjoy in many parts of this country. Let us not take this peace for granted. Let us all become agents of peace; of joy and of the resurrection,” Archbishop Kivuva said.
(Fr. Paul Samasumo, Vatican Radio/Reporting, Bertina Kanaka, Charles Lwanga Communications in Mombasa)
Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va
Authentic communication is facilitated by the human heart and the capacity to use the means at the disposal of professional communicators effectively. Communication does not depend on the over-reliance of communication technology, Fr. Chris Anyanwu, of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), has declared.Fr. Anyanwu, who is the CSN Director of Social Communications, made this assertion when he delivered the keynote address at the recently concluded first general assemby of the association of diocesan and religious directors of Catholic communicators in Nigeria. The 2016 assembly was held this week at Our Lady and St. Kizito’s Pastoral Centre, Ede, Osogbo, Osun State.Speaking on the theme of the plenary, “Communication and Mercy: A Fruitful Encounter,” Fr. Anyanwu, described the theme as very apt and outlined practical ways of how Catholic media practitioners could communicate God’s mercy in their discharge of such a special apostolate.Fr. Anyanwu noted t...
Authentic communication is facilitated by the human heart and the capacity to use the means at the disposal of professional communicators effectively. Communication does not depend on the over-reliance of communication technology, Fr. Chris Anyanwu, of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), has declared.
Fr. Anyanwu, who is the CSN Director of Social Communications, made this assertion when he delivered the keynote address at the recently concluded first general assemby of the association of diocesan and religious directors of Catholic communicators in Nigeria. The 2016 assembly was held this week at Our Lady and St. Kizito’s Pastoral Centre, Ede, Osogbo, Osun State.
Speaking on the theme of the plenary, “Communication and Mercy: A Fruitful Encounter,” Fr. Anyanwu, described the theme as very apt and outlined practical ways of how Catholic media practitioners could communicate God’s mercy in their discharge of such a special apostolate.
Fr. Anyanwu noted that social media, in particular, could facilitate relationships and promote the good of society. However, when misused, social media could lead to polarisation and division among individuals and groups. Diocesan and religious social communications directors, therefore, have the responsibility of promoting proper use of social media that enhances the dignity of the human person.
The CSN Director, who made constant references to Pope Francis’ 2016 fiftieth world communications day message entitled, “Communication and Mercy: A Fruitful Encounter,” pointed out that communication is a call to love and must be geared towards building a community of love and mercy.
(CNSNg.org)
Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- The six astronauts at the International Space Station got an early Easter treat this weekend with the arrival of a supply ship full of fresh food and experiments....
BEIRUT (AP) -- Syrian government forces have seized three neighborhoods inside Palmyra, a town with famed Roman-era ruins that fell to the Islamic State group last May, state media reported Saturday....
(Vatican Radio) Tensions are rising between Kiev and Moscow as a Ukrainian lawyer of an alleged Russian special forces soldier was found dead after disappearing in the middle of the soldier's trial. Ukraine's chief military prosecutor confirmed that lawyer Yuriy Hrabovskyi, who was declared missing early this month, had been shot dead. Hrabovskyi's body was reportedly found in a forest some 125 kilometers (78 miles) south of Ukraine's capital Kiev.Listen to Stefan Bos' report: Hrabovskyi was representing Aleksandr Aleksandrov. He was detained with another Russian citizen -- Yevgeny Yerofeyev -- in eastern Ukraine in May 2015.Kiev has accussed Aleksandrov and Yerofeyev of involvement in terrorist activities and fighting alongside Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine’s east. In a video published after their capture, both men said they were on active duty with the Russian military in eastern Ukraine when they were captured.However, Moscow denies the allegat...
(Vatican Radio) Tensions are rising between Kiev and Moscow as a Ukrainian lawyer of an alleged Russian special forces soldier was found dead after disappearing in the middle of the soldier's trial. Ukraine's chief military prosecutor confirmed that lawyer Yuriy Hrabovskyi, who was declared missing early this month, had been shot dead. Hrabovskyi's body was reportedly found in a forest some 125 kilometers (78 miles) south of Ukraine's capital Kiev.
Listen to Stefan Bos' report:
Hrabovskyi was representing Aleksandr Aleksandrov. He was detained with another Russian citizen -- Yevgeny Yerofeyev -- in eastern Ukraine in May 2015.
Kiev has accussed Aleksandrov and Yerofeyev of involvement in terrorist activities and fighting alongside Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine’s east. In a video published after their capture, both men said they were on active duty with the Russian military in eastern Ukraine when they were captured.
However, Moscow denies the allegations saying they were no longer employed by the state.
The two captured men were mentioned by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko as being part of a possible prisoner swap with Russia. He wants to release them in exchange for Ukrainian citizens including Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko. A Russian court sentenced her to 22 years imprisonment for allegedly killing two Russian journalists.
PILOT DENIES CHARGES
Savchenko denies the charges and says she was abducted in Ukraine and illegally brought to Russia in July 2014.
Another Ukrainian on Kiev's wishlist is filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, a native of Crimea who was detained in May 2014 on terrorism charges and later sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
He also denies the allegations and says they are retaliation for his vocal criticism of Russia's 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council has approved targeted economic and other sanctions against 54 individuals involved in prosecuting pilot Savchenko and filmmaker Sentsov.
Kiev already imposed similar measures on more than 400 Russian citizens and companies following Russia's annexation of Crimea and the ensuing pro-Russian separatist uprising in the east that has now killed more than 9,000 people.
(Vatican Radio) “If I were one day to become a victim of terrorism, I would like my community, my Church and my family to remember that my life was given to God and Algeria.” This is the spiritual testament of Fr Christian de Chergé one of the 7 Trappist monks kidnapped from his monastery in Tibhirine, Algeria 20 years ago this weekend. The monks were kidnapped by a terrorist organization called the Armed Islamic Group and beheaded after being held for 2 months. Only their heads were found.Listen to Alexander MacDonald's report: It was subsequently discovered that the Algerian government may have killed the monks and decapitated them in order to implicate the Armed Islamic Group. Whatever the case, the martyred monks leave a spiritual legacy focused on forgiveness and brotherhood between all people.Fr Eamon Fitzgerald is the Abbot General of the Trappists and was asked to reflect on the call to live in community. “It is the witness of a community unite...
(Vatican Radio) “If I were one day to become a victim of terrorism, I would like my community, my Church and my family to remember that my life was given to God and Algeria.” This is the spiritual testament of Fr Christian de Chergé one of the 7 Trappist monks kidnapped from his monastery in Tibhirine, Algeria 20 years ago this weekend. The monks were kidnapped by a terrorist organization called the Armed Islamic Group and beheaded after being held for 2 months. Only their heads were found.
Listen to Alexander MacDonald's report:
It was subsequently discovered that the Algerian government may have killed the monks and decapitated them in order to implicate the Armed Islamic Group. Whatever the case, the martyred monks leave a spiritual legacy focused on forgiveness and brotherhood between all people.
Fr Eamon Fitzgerald is the Abbot General of the Trappists and was asked to reflect on the call to live in community. “It is the witness of a community united together,” he said, “prepared to live their lives at the risk of losing them.”
The monks in Tibherine knew they were in a dangerous situation, surrounded by hostile Islamic forces.
With the choice to flee or remain and continue to live the gospel in community, the monks chose to stay and live their calling from God. On the night of 26th of March, 1996 the Armed Islamic Group stormed their monastery and seized 7 of the monks. They were later murdered by decapitation.
In the 20 years since, such terrorist attacks from the so-called Islamic State are still occurring almost daily. We ask Fr Eamon what does the monks’ martyrdom teach us? Is this a clash of civilizations?
The community model of the Trappists may give a key to reaching the hearts of hostile neighbours: the unassuming virtues of patience, poverty, presence, prayer and forgiveness. These pillars, says Fr Eamon, are fundamental for overcoming the challenges of very different people – even enemies – living together.
Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20: 1-9The late Catholic Archbishop of Hartford, John Whealon, had undergone cancer surgery resulting in a permanent colostomy when he wrote these very personal words in one of his last Easter messages: "I am now a member of an association of people who have been wounded by cancer. That association has as its symbol the phoenix, a bird of Egyptian mythology. The Greek poet Hesiod, who lived eight centuries before Jesus was born, wrote about this legendary bird in his poetry. When the bird felt its death was near (every 500 to 1,461 years), it would fly off to Phoenicia, build a nest of aromatic wood and set itself on fire. When the bird was consumed by the flames, a new phoenix sprang forth from the ashes. Thus, the phoenix symbolizes immortality, resurrection, and life after death. It sums up the Easter message perfectly. Jesus gave up His life, and from the grave He was raised to life again on t...
Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20: 1-9
The late Catholic Archbishop of Hartford, John Whealon, had undergone cancer surgery resulting in a permanent colostomy when he wrote these very personal words in one of his last Easter messages: "I am now a member of an association of people who have been wounded by cancer. That association has as its symbol the phoenix, a bird of Egyptian mythology. The Greek poet Hesiod, who lived eight centuries before Jesus was born, wrote about this legendary bird in his poetry. When the bird felt its death was near (every 500 to 1,461 years), it would fly off to Phoenicia, build a nest of aromatic wood and set itself on fire. When the bird was consumed by the flames, a new phoenix sprang forth from the ashes. Thus, the phoenix symbolizes immortality, resurrection, and life after death. It sums up the Easter message perfectly. Jesus gave up His life, and from the grave He was raised to life again on the third day. New life rises from the ashes of death. Today we are celebrating Christ's victory over the grave, the gift of eternal life for all who believe in Jesus. That is why the phoenix bird, one of the earliest symbols of the Risen Christ, also symbolizes our daily rising to new life. Every day, like the phoenix, we rise from the ashes of sin and guilt and are refreshed and renewed by our living Lord and Savior with His forgiveness and the assurance that He still loves us and will continue to give us the strength we need." Archbishop John Whealon could have lived in a gloomy tomb of self-pity, hopeless defeat, and chronic sadness, but his faith in the Risen Lord opened his eyes to new visions of life.
Introduction: Significance of Easter: Easter is the greatest and the most important feast in the Church. It marks the birthday of our eternal hope. "Easter" literally means "the feast of fresh flowers." We celebrate it with pride and jubilation for three reasons:
1) The resurrection of Christ is the basis of our Christian Faith. The Resurrection is the greatest of the miracles -- it proves that Jesus is God. That is why St. Paul writes: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain; and your Faith is in vain… And if Christ has not been raised, then your Faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins… But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (I Cor 15: 14, 17, 20). If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, then the Church is a fraud, and Faith is a sham. But if He really did rise from the dead, His message is true! Without the Resurrection, Jesus would have remained forever a good person who had met a tragic end. People would remember some of his teachings, and a handful of people might try to live according to them. All the basic doctrines of Christianity are founded on the truth of the Resurrection. “Jesus is Lord; He is risen” (Rom 10: 9) was the central theme of the kerygma (or "preaching"), of the Apostles. In fact, the seventeenth-century philosopher, John Locke, some of whose ideas were incorporated into the Declaration of Independence, wrote, "Our Savior’s Resurrection is truly of great importance in Christianity, so great that His being or not being the Messiah stands or falls with it."
2) Easter is the guarantee of our own resurrection. Jesus assured Martha at the tomb of Lazarus: “I am the Resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me will live even though he dies” (Jn 11: 25-26). Christ will raise us up on the last day, but it is also true, in a sense, that we have already risen with Christ. By virtue of the Holy Spirit, our Christian life is already a participation in the death and Resurrection of Christ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1002, #1003).
3) Easter is a feast which gives us hope and encouragement. In this world of pain, sorrows and tears, Easter reminds us that life is worth living. It is our belief in the Real Presence of the Risen Jesus in our souls, in His Church, in the Blessed Sacrament and in Heaven that gives meaning to our personal, as well as to our common, prayers. Our trust in the all-pervading presence of the Risen Lord gives us strength to fight against temptations and freedom from unnecessary worries and fears. The prayer of St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, reads: “Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ within me, never to part.”
Reasons why we believe in the Resurrection of Jesus (1) Jesus himself testified to his Resurrection from the dead (Mark 8:31; Matthew 17:22; Luke 9:22). (2) The tomb was empty on Easter Sunday (Luke 24:3). Although the guards claimed (Matthew 28:13), that the disciples of Jesus had stolen the body, every sensible Jew knew that it was impossible for the terrified disciples of Jesus to steal the body of Jesus from a tomb guarded by an armed, 16-member Temple Guard detachment. (3) The initial disbelief of Jesus’ own disciples in His Resurrection, in spite of His repeated apparitions, serves as a strong proof of His Resurrection. Their initial disbelief explains why the Apostles started preaching the Risen Christ only after receiving the anointing of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. (4) The transformation of Jesus’ disciples transformed men who were hopeless and fearful after the crucifixion (Luke 24:21, John 20:19), into men who now were confident and bold witnesses to the Resurrection (Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:2). (5) Neither the Jews and the Romans could disprove Jesus’ Resurrection by presenting the dead body of Jesus. (6) The Apostles and early Christians would not have faced martyrdom if they were not absolutely sure of Jesus’ Resurrection. (7) The Apostle Paul’s conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a zealous preacher of of Jesus supports the truth of Jesus’ Resurrection (Galatians 1:11-17, Acts 9:1, Acts 9:24-25, Acts 26:15-18). (8) The sheer existence of a thriving, empire-conquering early Christian Church, bravely facing and surviving three centuries of persecution, supports the truth of the Resurrection claim. (9) The New Testament witnesses do not bear the stamp of dupes or deceivers. The Apostles and the early Christians were absolutely sure about the Resurrection of Jesus. Anglican bishop and New Testament scholar N.T. Wright has commented incisively that if Jesus had not been raised bodily from the dead, Christianity would never have survived as a Messianic movement. Wright says that the clearest indication to a first-century Jew that someone was not the Messiah would be his death at the hands of the enemies of Israel. That the Church of Christ endured as a Messianic religion is possible only on the assumption that the Crucified One was, nevertheless, objectively alive.
Exegesis: The Resurrection of Jesus had certain special features. First, Jesus prophesied it as a sign of His Divinity: “Tear down this temple and in three days I will build it again” (Jn 2: 19). Second, the founder of no other religion has an empty tomb as Jesus has. We see the fulfillment of Christ's promise on the empty cross and in the empty tomb. The angel said to the women at Jesus’ tomb, “Why are you looking among the dead for one who is alive? He is not here: he has been raised” (Luke 24: 5-6). The third special feature is the initial disbelief of Jesus’ own disciples in His Resurrection, in spite of His repeated apparitions. This serves as a strong proof of His Resurrection. It explains why the Apostles started preaching the Risen Christ only after receiving the anointing of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Proclamation and witness-bearing are the main themes of today’s readings. In the first reading, St. Peter shares his own experience of Christ’s Resurrection and its joy with the newly baptized members of Cornelius’ family. In the second reading, St. Paul, converted on the Damascus Road by Jesus from a persecuting Pharisee into a zealous apostle of Jesus, urges his converts to live the new life in the risen Christ to which they were raised by their conversion in order to share in the glory of Christ on His return. Today’s Gospel explains the empty-tomb-resurrection-experience of Mary Magdalene, Peter and John. Mary Magdalene proclaims her personal experience: “I have seen the Lord.” “The best proof of the Resurrection is a church on fire.” Clarence Jordan, Christian Century 7/9/14 year of service to the Church in the U.S.
Life messages: 1) We are to be a Resurrection people: Easter, the feast of the Resurrection, gives us the joyful message that we are a “Resurrection people.” This means that we are not supposed to lie buried in the tomb of our sins, evil habits and dangerous addictions. It gives us the Good News that no tomb can hold us down anymore - not the tomb of despair, discouragement or doubt, nor that of death. Instead, we are expected to live a joyful and peaceful life, constantly experiencing the real presence of the Risen Lord in all the events of our lives. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad” (Psalm 118:24).
2) We need to seek our peace and joy in the Risen Jesus: The living presence of the Risen Lord gives us lasting peace and celestial joy in the face of the boredom, suffering, pain and tensions of our day-to-day life. “Peace be with you!” was His salutation to His disciples at all post-Resurrection appearances. For the true Christian, every day must be an Easter Day, lived joyfully in the close company of the Risen Lord.
3) We are to be transparent Christians: We are called to be transparent Christians, showing others, through our lives of love, mercy, compassion and self-sacrificing service, that the Risen Jesus is living in our hearts.
4) We need to live new, disciplined lives in the Risen Jesus: Our awareness of the all-pervading presence of the Risen Lord in and around us, and the strong conviction of our own coming resurrection, help us control our thoughts, desires, words and behavior. This salutary thought inspires us to honor our bodies, keeping them holy, pure and free from evil habits and addictions. Our conviction about the presence of the risen Lord in our neighbors, and in all those with whom we come into contact, should encourage us to respect them, and to render them loving, humble and selfless service.
5) We need to remember Easter in our Good Fridays: Easter reminds us that every Good Friday in our lives will have an Easter Sunday and that Jesus will let us share the power of His Resurrection. Each time we display our love of others, we share in the Resurrection. Each time we face a betrayal of trust, we share in the Resurrection of Jesus. Each time we fail in our attempts to ward off temptations – but keep on trying to overcome them – we share in the Resurrection. Each time we continue to hope – even when our hope seems unanswered – we share in the power of Jesus’ Resurrection. In short, the message of Easter is that nothing can destroy us – not pain, sin, rejection nor death – because Christ has conquered all these, and we too can conquer them if we put our faith in Him.
6) We are to be bearers of the Good News of Resurrection power. Resurrection is Good News, but at the same time, it’s sometimes painful because it involves death. Before the power of the Resurrection can take hold in our own lives, we’re called to die to sin, to die to self. We may even have to die to our own dreams, so that God can do what He wants to do with our lives. Resurrection is about seeing our world in a new way. Early that Easter morning, Mary did not find what she was looking for, the dead body of Jesus. But she found something better than she could have imagined: the Risen Jesus. Sometimes, the things we think we want most are not granted to us. What we get instead is an experience of God’s new ways of working in the world. That’s the power of the Resurrection. When those moments come, we must spread the news--just as Mary did: We have seen the Lord!
You may remember a geography lesson from elementary school in which you learned that the southernmost point of Africa is a point which for centuries has experienced tremendous storms. For many years no one knew what lay beyond that cape, for no ship attempting to round that point had ever returned to tell the tale. Among the ancients it was known as the "Cape of Storms," and for good reason. But then a Portuguese explorer in the sixteenth century, Vasco De Gama, successfully sailed East around that very point and found beyond the wild raging storms, a great calm sea, and beyond that, the shores of India. The name of that cape was changed from the Cape of Storms to the Cape of Good Hope. Until Jesus Christ rose from the dead, death had been the "cape of storms" on which all hopes of life beyond had been wrecked. No one knew what lay beyond that point until, on Easter morning, Jesus arose. The ancient visions of Isaiah became the victory of Jesus over our last great enemy. Like those sixteenth century explorers, we can see beyond human death to the hope of Heaven and eternal life with the Father. More than that, we dare to believe that we shall experience in our own human lives exactly what the Son of God experienced in His, for the Risen Christ says to us, "Because I live, you shall live also." This is the heart of our Faith.
(Source: Homilies of Fr. Anthony Kadavil)
(Vatican Radio) The Papal Almoner, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, spend the evening of Good Friday on a special Via Crucis through the streets of Rome. This Way of the Cross, conducted in spiritual union with the Via Crucis of Pope Francis at the Coliseum, was to offer concrete charity to the homeless of the Italian capital.The Archbishop was accompanied by residents of the “Gift of Mercy” dormitory, which offers a place for otherwise homeless people. During their “Via Crucis in the City”, they distributed sleeping bags, as well as a small gift from Pope Francis, to about 100 “stations”. Their mission ended after midnight.
(Vatican Radio) The Papal Almoner, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, spend the evening of Good Friday on a special Via Crucis through the streets of Rome. This Way of the Cross, conducted in spiritual union with the Via Crucis of Pope Francis at the Coliseum, was to offer concrete charity to the homeless of the Italian capital.
The Archbishop was accompanied by residents of the “Gift of Mercy” dormitory, which offers a place for otherwise homeless people. During their “Via Crucis in the City”, they distributed sleeping bags, as well as a small gift from Pope Francis, to about 100 “stations”. Their mission ended after midnight.
Cardinal Charles Bo of Myanmar has issued a message for Easter this year, drawing from Christ’s Resurrection the hope of freedom, peace, prosperity and human development for his nation. “This is the season of Resurrection. This is the season of Hope to my people. Let the people of Myanmar celebrate this tree of hope,” the archbishop of Yangon wrote in his message. Cardinal Bo drew parallels between the tree of knowledge of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the Cross of Jesus on Calvary, that brought the hope of salvation for mankind following the despair and hopelessness of Good Friday, a story that is reflected in the recent history of Myanmar. In his long message, Myanmar’s first cardinal, among other things, urged the nation’s leaders to heal the wound of discrimination against the ethnic and religious minorities, warning “no justice no peace. Good Friday will continue for th...
Cardinal Charles Bo of Myanmar has issued a message for Easter this year, drawing from Christ’s Resurrection the hope of freedom, peace, prosperity and human development for his nation. “This is the season of Resurrection. This is the season of Hope to my people. Let the people of Myanmar celebrate this tree of hope,” the archbishop of Yangon wrote in his message. Cardinal Bo drew parallels between the tree of knowledge of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the Cross of Jesus on Calvary, that brought the hope of salvation for mankind following the despair and hopelessness of Good Friday, a story that is reflected in the recent history of Myanmar. In his long message, Myanmar’s first cardinal, among other things, urged the nation’s leaders to heal the wound of discrimination against the ethnic and religious minorities, warning “no justice no peace. Good Friday will continue for this nation.”
Below is the full text of Cardinal Charles Bo’s Easter message:
We are washed by the blood of Jesus.
Dear Brothers and Sisters
Easter breaks forth like a river in the long desert. It is a very special Easter today to the people of Myanmar. The river of democracy is slowly spreading its splendor in the long desert of hopelessness. We people of Myanmar today celebrate Easter with signs of resurrection around us. It is the early morning of Easter in Myanmar. Happy Easter.
Christ who was raised on the Cross, the tree of torture has resurrected. The darkness of the Good Friday is being dispelled by Christ. The Cross becomes the tree of hope. Our faith started with the tree, the tree of knowledge, the tree in the Garden of Eden, the tree of fallen nature. But that poisonous tree of Adam and Eve is replaced by the salvific tree of the second Adam. Christ who was killed on the Cross, through his blood has washed the sins of humanity. Hatred has given way to love. Vengeance has given way to forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus reconciles us today to the Father. For a sin filled human nature, Christ death was a purification. As Peter extols with Joy : He himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteous - by his wounds you were healed.” ( 1 Peter 2: 24). That is the message of Easter : Oh sinful humanity, Oh hateful humanity, your sins are forgiven and your hatred is turned into hope by the extra ordinary sacrifice of Jesus and his blood. This is the season of hope. In this world of suffocating darkness of hope, history proves that resurrection is the hope that continues in the human hearts and in the human history.
History is full of men who brought this hope of resurrection through their noble acts. Think of Abraham Lincoln. For thousands of black slaves buried in the tombs of slavery, he was to announce a resurrection of freedom. But white hatred thirsted for his blood, as the Jews thirsted for the blood of Jesus. Lincoln was killed, not on the Cross, but by a bullet of hatred. But his blood proved to be stronger. It started the washing of the racial hatred of Americans. Streaks of resurrection pierced through the dark clouds of hatred.
Martin Luther King Jr, had a dream. A dream that human beings would not be judged by the colour of their skins but by their character. For millions of African Americans he was the hope, the light set on the city of hope. But hatred, white supremacists’ anger thirsted for his blood. He was also raised on the tree of hatred and killed with a bullet. But his innocent blood has washed the hatred. Today a black man occupies the White house, once considered an impossibility. For millions of black Americans Obama is a sign that peoples enslaved in tombs of despair will rise again like Jesus who won over his death.
Nelson Mandela bore on his body innumerable tortures and humiliations. When he was released he was to empty the tombs of hatred by calling for reconciliation among races. By a single act of reconciliation, Mandela proved to be signs of resurrection to a long suffering nation.
Myanmar is not left behind. Think of General Aung San. He was working for an integral liberation of Economic and political freedom. Even before the dawn of freedom, his blood was spilled. The country was healed of the mutual hatred among the people. Myanmar is today can claim to be a nation because of the blood of Aung San.
Today we see another resurrection: Resurrection of hope in a frail woman : Aung San Sui Kyi. She was also raised on the tree of suffering for more than 15 years in the jail. Darkness was penetrating Myanmar for more than 50years. Daw Aung San Sui Kyi’s suffering and her fortitude amidst the suffering has brought the resurrection of freedom. Today Myanmar can wake up into a dawn of hope because people like Aung San Sui Kyi are willing to be wounded but using that suffering as a redemptive suffering. A new nation is born today and nurtures the resurrection of hope of freedom, peace, prosperity and human development.
This is the season of Resurrection. This is the season of Hope to my people. Let the people of Myanmar celebrate this tree of hope.
We celebrate today the victory of cross. The tree of salvation. Christ was wounded on the Cross and his blood flowed from the Cross. Cross was a scandal to the Jews. As St Paul proudly proclaims we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” ( I Cor 1 : 23) The tree of the cross was not a tree of shame, but a tree of salvation. The first Adam disobeyed when he sought the tree of knowledge. People in the desert disobeyed Moses and God but they were saved by the serpent raised like a tree. Christ identified himself with the tree. He laid in the wooden manger as a child, was a carpenter working with the wood and he would die on a wood, Cross.
All over the world trees are like Jesus. Trees take the toxic carbon in the air and convert them into life giving oxygen. Trees save life. Christ is the tree of salvation. He takes the toxic sins on himself as St Peter says : He bore our sins in His Body on the Cross, so that we might die sin and live in righteousness. ( 1 Peter 2: 24). He is the eternal tree of life. By taking our wounds he gives back our life. We are healed by his wounds.
Easter calls for this understanding. To move out of evil, the power of sin. At the personal challenge, our life can be like the tree of Knowledge of the Genesis whose toxic fruits made our first parents to lose their relationship with God. Sin is crouching at the door, waiting to devour anyone. (I Pet.5:8). Often we have crucified ourselves into self defeating pessimism. ‘sour pusses’ as the Pope calls us, people with a cemetery mentality of seeing everything in a depressing lens, never allowing life to establish itself. The defeatist mentality is a tomb that seals our lives and refuses to open to the spirit of forgiveness. Judas Iscariot buried himself in the tomb of guilt whilst Peter saw God’s mercy and rose from his tomb of despair. Those of us who believe in the resurrection are called to come out of our self made tombs of despair, hatred and hopelessness.
The year of mercy is a clarion call. The Pope calls us to be merciful with ourselves. Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful ( Lk 6:36). For many of us buried in the tomb of guilt and sin, Pope Francis is calling us to return to the Lord in forgiveness. “ No sin is greater than God’s mercy” says the Holy Father. Forgiving others, reconciling with those whom we wounded and adopting a positive attitude are signs of people of Resurrection.
As a Catholic Community we need to be signs of hope to this nation. We were persecuted, we were buried in the tombs of poverty, oppression and denial of rights. For many of us it has been a long way of the Cross. We were Good Friday people sometimes doubting where there was a Holy Saturday. We even wondered whether there would be an Easter Sunday in this country. But God is God of History. He speaks through the signs of times. I strongly believe that Myanmar’s resurrection from its painful past is occurring. We as a community need to stand witness to that Easter of hope. In the recently concluded national seminar on Nation Building, the church has planned to contribute towards nation building through peace and reconciliation, human development through education and affirmation of the rights of our indigenous brothers and sisters.
This nation has been wounded by man made and natural disasters. Myanmar needs healing. Past cannot be undone. So many groups have been wounded. As St John talks of the conditions of early Christians in the book of Revelations : And the Lord said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev 7:14) our country men and women have coming out of great tribulations. This nation was crucified on the cross of injustice. Refugees, unsafe migrants, war affected people, the poor, drug victims and human trafficking victims. How can we forget hundreds of our country men and women who languished in jails or even those who gave their life for the freedom of this country.
The blood of the lamb makes all wounds healed. All robes soaked in blood of hatred. They are to be soaked in the blood of the lamb and reconciled. Past is a pestering wound in this nation. But as a nation we need to heal. Forgiveness need to lead towards peace with justice. Jesus calls for ‘forgiving seventy times seven’ ( Mt 18:22).
This nation has seen the way of the cross, the wounded Christ is brought down from the cross from 2010. We witness streaks of hope and resurrection. But all of us, leaders of this nation, ethnic groups, the people of Myanmar need to learn from history.
Myanmar started as a peaceful nation. The preferential treatment of one religion in this country from 1956 was the first wound. The ill treatment of other religions have caused the chronic conflicts and displacements. Srilanka which took the same path and saw conflict and blood bath, has a leader who is willing to heal and reconcile. That nation is journeying towards peace and prosperity. The leaders of this nation need to heal this wound of discrimination of the ethnic and religious minorities. No justice no peace. Good Friday will continue for this nation. Injustice need to be washed by the blood of reconciliation.
Historical wounds need to heal. IN the 1960s an arrogant military power snatched the educational institutions ran by Christians. Christians were targeting the poor and those in the margin for education. Denial of this right for the last sixty years has resulted in making this nation a partly educated nation. Education is a fundamental right. A deliberate policy of not educating our youngsters exposed them to modern forms of slavery in the nearby countries, to drug menace, to human trafficking. Youth is a wounded generation. True reconciliation is possible. We buried three generation of our people without a good education. I urge all concerned “ do not crucify our youth in the tomb of self pity” offer them the hopes of a bright tomorrow through quality education.
Pope Francis has extolled the church to be a Easter message to the poor. The third message of Year of Mercy is to be compassionate to the Poor and the vulnerable people. Despite all the restrictions, Myanmar Church has never hesitated to serve the poor, especially through the boarding schools, through Leprosy asylums, HIV centres, through its numerous programs. Following the guidelines of Pope Francis in the JOY OF THE GOSPEL, Church will reach out those in the ‘margins’ of the society and bring the hope of Easter.
To all my Christian brothers and Sisters, Happy Easter once again. You are Christians and Myanmar citizens. Confidently take your place in this new nation. We are not a good Friday people, we are a Easter people. We generate hope. Let not our small size brighten us. Always remember the words of Jesus
Jesus said : Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Mathew 17 : 20-21)
Yes, my dear brothers and sisters, as Easter people let us assume this role of moving mountains of human tragedies and bring a hope a new Myanmar of peace, prosperity and fellowship. Be the people of faith and hope. Let us move the mountains.
HAPPY EASTER
