Tausch: from the Osservatore Romano Website

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On Sunday, 11 April, the Octave of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, the =
Holy Father led the recitation of the Regina Caeli, which he introduced =
with a reflection on God's merciful love, drawing attention to the =
glaring contrast between the suffering caused by the war in the Balkans =
and the risen Christ's gift of mercy and peace. The Pope asked the =
faithful to intensify their prayers for an end to the war and for =
peaceful coexistence among all the peoples of that region. Here is a =
translation of his remarks, which were made in Italian and English.=20
Dear Brothers and Sisters,=20
1. At the end of the Octave of Easter with a special thought for our =
Orthodox brothers and sisters who are celebrating this solemnity today I =
make my own the words of the Apostle Peter, proclaimed in the liturgy:  =
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great =
mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection =
of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Pt 1: 3). On their way to the Jubilee, =
the entire People of God raise a hymn of thanksgiving to God the Father =
who, in Christ's paschal mystery, revealed to the world his face and, so =
to speak, his heart "rich in mercy" (Eph 2: 4).=20
This Sunday is also called Divine Mercy Sunday:  in this year dedicated =
to God the Father, it is an excellent occasion to enter into the =
authentic Jubilee spirit as individuals and as the Church, in accordance =
with Jesus' own words:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he =
has sent me ... to announce a year of favour from the Lord" (Lk 4: =
18-19). I am very pleased that many priests and faithful have gathered =
this morning in St Peter's Square for a solemn Eucharist celebrated by =
Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini, whom I cordially greet, and with him =
everyone present, as I express my pleasure with your devotion to the =
merciful Jesus.=20
I warmly encourage you to be apostles of divine mercy, like Bl. Faustina =
Kowalska, wherever you live and work.=20
2. How could we not note the glaring contrast between the invitation to =
mercy and forgiveness echoing in today's liturgy and the violence of the =
tragic conflicts which are soaking the Balkan region in blood? May peace =
prevail at last! Here I renew the appeal dictated not only by faith but =
first of all by reason:  may people be able to live together in harmony =
in their lands; may weapons be silenced and dialogue resumed!=20
My thoughts turn constantly to those who are suffering the harsh =
consequences of the war and I pray the risen Lord, the Prince of Peace, =
to give us the gift of his peace.=20
3. I would like to invite all believers to intensify their prayer for =
peace, because God offers what sometimes seems almost humanly impossible =
to those who request it as a gift of his mercy.=20
For this reason, let us invoke the intercession of Blessed Mary. Mother =
of Mercy, we pray to you to help us set out courageously on the way of =
love and peace.=20
After praying the Regina Caeli, the Holy Father said: =20
Today, as I have just said, the Orthodox Churches are celebrating Holy =
Easter. I join our Orthodox brothers and sisters in joyful prayer and =
offer them my heartfelt good wishes. May the peace Christ announced to =
his disciples on the day of his Resurrection always be effective among =
believers. At this time my thoughts turn, in particular, to those who =
are suffering from the war. May the hope for peace sustain them in this =
harsh trial and make them more and more the artisans of a coexistence =
that respects the rights of each individual and is marked by fraternal =
solidarity.=20
I extend a special greeting to the Marthoma Christians from the =
Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara Churches, who today celebrate the =
appearance of the risen Lord to the Apostle St Thomas. I pray that =
almighty God will continue to bless your communities with vigorous faith =
and generosity in works of charity.=20
I affectionately greet all the pilgrims present, particularly the =
faithful from the parishes of St Ambrose of Grion in Trebaseleghe, =
Padua, of St Mary and St Anthony Marostica in the Diocese of Vicenza, as =
well as the confirmands from St Symphorosa Parish in Bagni di Tivoli. I =
also greet the group of "Italian Restaurateurs Abroad".=20
I extend a special welcome to the young people who have gathered from =
various Italian regions to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Youth =
Tourist Centre. In 1949, the young people of Catholic Action founded =
this apostolic initiative to promote tourism that would be a source of =
spiritual enrichment. This is what I also hope today, as I cordially =
bless you all.=20



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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><I>On Sunday, 11 April, the Octave of =
Easter and=20
Divine Mercy Sunday, the Holy Father led the recitation of the =
</I>Regina Caeli,=20
<I>which he introduced with a reflection on God's merciful love, drawing =

attention to the glaring contrast between the suffering caused by the =
war in the=20
Balkans and the risen Christ's gift of mercy and peace. The Pope asked =
the=20
faithful to intensify their prayers for an end to the war and for =
peaceful=20
coexistence among all the peoples of that region. Here is a translation =
of his=20
remarks, which were made in Italian and English.</I> <BR>Dear Brothers =
and=20
Sisters,</I> <BR>1. At the end of the Octave of Easter with a special =
thought=20
for our Orthodox brothers and sisters who are celebrating this solemnity =
today I=20
make my own the words of the Apostle Peter, proclaimed in the =
liturgy:&nbsp;=20
&quot;Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his =
great mercy=20
we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of =
Jesus Christ=20
from the dead&quot; (1 Pt 1:&nbsp;3). On their way to the Jubilee, the =
entire=20
People of God raise a hymn of thanksgiving to God the Father who, in =
Christ's=20
paschal mystery, revealed to the world his face and, so to speak, his =
heart=20
&quot;rich in mercy&quot; (Eph 2:&nbsp;4).</I> <BR>This Sunday is also =
called=20
Divine Mercy Sunday:&nbsp; in this year dedicated to God the Father, it =
is an=20
excellent occasion to enter into the authentic Jubilee spirit as =
individuals and=20
as the Church, in accordance with Jesus' own words:&nbsp; &quot;The =
Spirit of=20
the Lord is upon me, because he has sent me ... to announce a year of =
favour=20
from the Lord&quot; (Lk 4:&nbsp;18-19). I am very pleased that many =
priests and=20
faithful have gathered this morning in St Peter's Square for a solemn =
Eucharist=20
celebrated by Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini, whom I cordially greet, and =
with him=20
everyone present, as I express my pleasure with your devotion to the =
merciful=20
Jesus.</I> <BR>I warmly encourage you to be apostles of divine mercy, =
like Bl.=20
Faustina Kowalska, wherever you live and work.</I> <BR>2. How could we =
not note=20
the glaring contrast between the invitation to mercy and forgiveness =
echoing in=20
today's liturgy and the violence of the tragic conflicts which are =
soaking the=20
Balkan region in blood? May peace prevail at last! Here I renew the =
appeal=20
dictated not only by faith but first of all by reason:&nbsp; may people =
be able=20
to live together in harmony in their lands; may weapons be silenced and =
dialogue=20
resumed!</I> <BR>My thoughts turn constantly to those who are suffering =
the=20
harsh consequences of the war and I pray the risen Lord, the Prince of =
Peace, to=20
give us the gift of his peace.</I> <BR>3. I would like to invite all =
believers=20
to intensify their prayer for peace, because God offers what sometimes =
seems=20
almost humanly impossible to those who request it as a gift of his =
mercy.</I>=20
<BR>For this reason, let us invoke the intercession of Blessed Mary. =
Mother of=20
Mercy, we pray to you to help us set out courageously on the way of love =
and=20
peace.</I> <BR></I><I>After praying the </I>Regina Caeli,<I> the Holy =
Father=20
said:&nbsp;</I> <BR></I>Today, as I have just said, the Orthodox =
Churches are=20
celebrating Holy Easter. I join our Orthodox brothers and sisters in =
joyful=20
prayer and offer them my heartfelt good wishes. May the peace Christ =
announced=20
to his disciples on the day of his Resurrection always be effective =
among=20
believers. At this time my thoughts turn, in particular, to those who =
are=20
suffering from the war. May the hope for peace sustain them in this =
harsh trial=20
and make them more and more the artisans of a coexistence that respects =
the=20
rights of each individual and is marked by fraternal solidarity. <BR>I =
extend a=20
special greeting to the <I>Marthoma</I> Christians from the Syro-Malabar =
and=20
Syro-Malankara Churches, who today celebrate the appearance of the risen =
Lord to=20
the Apostle St Thomas. I pray that almighty God will continue to bless =
your=20
communities with vigorous faith and generosity in works of charity. =
<BR>I=20
affectionately greet all the pilgrims present, particularly the faithful =
from=20
the parishes of St Ambrose of Grion in Trebaseleghe, Padua, of St Mary =
and St=20
Anthony Marostica in the Diocese of Vicenza, as well as the confirmands =
from St=20
Symphorosa Parish in Bagni di Tivoli. I also greet the group of =
&quot;Italian=20
Restaurateurs Abroad&quot;. <BR>I extend a special welcome to the young =
people=20
who have gathered from various Italian regions to celebrate the 50th =
anniversary=20
of the Youth Tourist Centre. In 1949, the young people of Catholic =
Action=20
founded this apostolic initiative to promote tourism that would be a =
source of=20
spiritual enrichment. This is what I also hope today, as I cordially =
bless you=20
all. <BR><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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