The Cross is the luminous pinnacle of the love of God that safeguards
us. We too are called to be guardians through love. This is the theme of the
meditations of the 14 Stations of the Via Crucis, over which Pope Francis will
preside at the Colosseum on Holy Friday evening, 3 April. The author of the
meditations is H.E. Renato Corti, Bishop emeritus of Novara, who emphasizes in
the introductory note that the Via Crucis 2015 will make continual reference
“to the gift of being safeguarded by God’s love, especially by Jesus
Crucified, and to the task of being, in our turn, guardians through love
of the whole of Creation, of each person, especially of the poorest, of
ourselves and our families, so as to make the star of hope shine”. “We wish to participate in this Via Crucis in profound
communion with Jesus”, the Bishop writes. While remaining “attentive to what is
written in the Gospels”, the meditations will discreetly include “some of the sentiments
and thoughts which may have dwelt in Jesus’ mind and heart in those
trying hours. At the same time we will allow ourselves to be challenged by some
of the realities of life which – for
better or worse – characterize our days”. Thus we will express “our will to
emulate a few of the steps of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ”. Complete text of the meditations for the Via Crucis…
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi says an “urgent and effective response” is needed to counter violent extremist groups like Boko Haram and the so-called Islamic State which “are growing like a cancer, spreading to other parts of the world and even attracting foreign militants to fight in their ranks”.
In a statement Wednesday at the 23rd Special Session of the Human Rights Council on the Situation of Human Rights in Nigeria – Boko Haram, Archbishop Tomasi called for “swift, decisive and combined action on the part of the Nigerian government, its bordering countries, the African Union and the United Nations” to contrast the violent extremism of Boko Haram militants who have killed, mutilated and kidnapped thousands of Nigerians and people from neighboring countries.
Below, we publish the text of Archbishop Tomasi’s statement:
Geneva, 1 April 2015
Mr. President,
The ongoing violence, persecution and murder at the hands of the Boko Haram group especially in Nigeria, but also in Cameroon, Benin, Chad and Niger, present serious transgressions under international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity which require an urgent and effective response from the involved States, together with the solidarity of the international community. With the merciless acts of this terrorist group, we are witnessing the continued development and dissemination of a radical and ruthless type of extremism inspired by an ideology which attempts to justify its crimes in the name of religion. Furthermore, with the recent explicit allegiance of Boko Haram to the so-called Islamic State group (ISIS), one cannot be blind to the fact that such extremists groups are growing like a cancer, spreading to other parts of the world and even attracting foreign militants to fight in their ranks.
Nigeria, in particular, has “had to confront considerable problems, among them new and violent forms of extremism and fundamentalism on ethnic, social and religious grounds. Many Nigerians have been killed, wounded or mutilated, kidnapped and deprived of everything: their loved ones, their land, their means of subsistence, their dignity and their rights. Many have not been able to return to their homes.” These crimes perpetrated at the hands of Boko Haram have been continuing with impunity and, as witnessed in the last 12 months, have only increased in their intensity and destructive effects. As Pope Francis noted, the tragedy faced in Nigeria at the hands of these extremists “is a scourge which needs to be eradicated, since it strikes all of us, from individual families to the international community.”
Crimes in the “name of religion” are never justified. Massacring innocent people in the name of God is not religion but the manipulation of religion for ulterior motives. In fact, “believers, both Christians and Muslim, have experienced a common tragic outcome, at the hands of people who claim to be religious, but who instead abuse religion, to make of it an ideology for their own distorted interests of exploitation and murder.”
Mr. President,
Notwithstanding the military efforts of the Nigerian government to stop these terrorists, even with the recently formed alliance of a Multinational Joint Task Force composed of neighbouring countries also threatened by Boko Haram, the extremists continue their fury of violence, creating evermore instability in Western Africa. Such a situation clearly poses a dangerous uncertainty to the whole region and even beyond. Without swift, decisive and combined action on the part of the Nigerian government, its bordering countries, the African Union and the United Nations, the serious threat of violence will only continue to jeopardize the lives of millions of civilians throughout that region.
It appears that the time is ripe for the international community to assist in bringing an end to the violence, which has caused numerous civilian victims. Before such violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws, we cannot afford to have a posture of indifference that would lead to the widening contagion of violence and also set a dangerous precedent of “non-action” in response to such horrific crimes.
The Holy See encourages an international collaborative effort to address this crisis situation with urgency so as to prevent the extension of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups and their strategy of inflicting suffering on the local people and to destabilize Africa even further.
Thank you, Mr. President.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The leaders of Christian Churches in Jerusalem have issued a message for Easter, calling the Holy City a source of hope that “springs from the Resurrection” and urging “people everywhere not to fall into despair” over the recent violence threatening the region. The Church leaders express deep distress over the level of violence “still being falsely perpetrated in the name of religion in parts of the Middle East and elsewhere in recent times.” Members of some of the region’s ancient Christian communities, “especially in Egypt, Iraq and Syria – have been among those most directly affected, along with other minority populations,” the message says. “There is no true religion which advocates violation of the human person or the victimization of minority groups in society and we condemn such actions in the strongest possible terms. Those who engage in such barbaric behaviour dehumanize not only their victims, but themselves,” the Church leaders write. Below, please find the full text of the Easter Message of the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem: “ He has given us new birth into a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. ” (I Peter 1.3) We, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, send our Easter Greetings and Blessings to all people everywhere in the name of our risen Saviour, Jesus Christ. In the face of so much that threatens to devalue or diminish human life, the hope that springs from the Resurrection is rooted here in Jerusalem. The message of Easter has shaped the very identity of this Holy City over many centuries. Here is located the site of the Empty Tomb, the place where God’s sovereignty over death and the powers of darkness was manifested in the raising of Jesus from the dead. As a consequence of this reality, the location where the Resurrection took place is not merely an object of archaeological curiosity but remains a living focus of Christian worship. It is a place where God’s grace has been manifested in numerous ways down the centuries and for that reason alone it deserves respect. Along with all people of good will, we are deeply distressed by the level of violence still being falsely perpetrated in the name of religion in parts of the Middle East and elsewhere in recent times. Members of some of the ancient Christian communities in this region – especially in Egypt, Iraq and Syria – have been among those most directly affected, along with other minority populations. There is no true religion which advocates violation of the human person or the victimization of minority groups in society and we condemn such actions in the strongest possible terms. Those who engage in such barbaric behaviour dehumanize not only their victims, but themselves. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we urge people everywhere not to fall into despair. The very existence of this city of Jerusalem is paradoxically a sign of hope that God’s kingdom of peace, love and justice will prevail. There are indeed signs of darkness around us which make this a painful time to live through, but the darkest part of the night is often shortly before the dawn. The joyful proclamation of the Resurrection at dawn on Easter Sunday assures us that the last word lies not with violence and inhumanity but with God’s purpose of love, justice and hope which runs like a thread throughout history and will find its ultimate fulfillment in the coming fullness of his Kingdom. The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! +Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate +Patriarch Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarchate +Patriarch Nourhan Manougian, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate +Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, ofm, Custos of the Holy Land +Archbishop Anba Abraham, Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, Jerusalem +Archbishop Swerios Malki Murad, Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate +Archbishop Aba Embakob, Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate +Archbishop Joseph-Jules Zerey, Greek-Melkite-Catholic Patriarchate +Archbishop Mosa El-Hage, Maronite Patriarchal Exarchate +Archbishop Suheil Dawani, Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East +Bishop Munib Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land +Bishop Pierre Malki, Syrian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate +Msgr. Georges Dankaye’, Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate (Easter 2015) (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis delivered the homily at the Chrism Mass for the diocese of Rome on the morning of Holy Thursday. Below, please find the official English translation of the Holy Father’s prepared remarks. ******************************************* Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Holy Thursday Chrism Mass 2 April 2015 “My hand shall ever abide with…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis delivered the homily at the Chrism Mass for the diocese of Rome on the morning of Holy Thursday. Below, please find the official English translation of the Holy Father’s prepared remarks. ******************************************* Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Holy Thursday Chrism Mass 2 April 2015 “My hand shall ever abide with…
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