April 8, 2012. (
Romereports.com) (
-ONLY VIDEO-) Pope Benedict XVI gave his
Urbi et Orbi blessing on Easter Sunday from the Saint Peter's Basilica. About 100,000 people flocked to St. Peter's Square in Rome to hear the pope's Easter message. He called for an "
end to bloodshed in Syria and an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation". "May the many
refugees from that country find the acceptance and solidarity capable of relieving their dreadful sufferings", he added.
He asked "the Iraqi people to spare no effort in pursuing the path of stability and development", "Israelis and Palestinians to take up anew the peace process", and "to Nigeria, which in recent times has experienced savage terrorist attacks, may the joy of Easter grant the strength needed to take up anew the building of a society which is peaceful and respectful of the religious freedom of all its citizens".
He spoke also about the difficult situation in Mali, Sudan and South Sudan.
He also greeted the "Christian communities suffering most for their faith on account of discrimination and persecution".
"In this world, hope can not avoid confronting the harshness of evil", he said. "But if Jesus is risen, then – and only then – has something truly new happened, something that changes the state of humanity and the world. Then he, Jesus, is someone in whom we can put absolute trust; we can put our trust not only in his message but in Jesus himself", he added.
According the Pope, "Christ is hope and comfort in a particular way for those .
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