Pope Francis has dedicated much of his pontificate to appealing for peace. This year on April 20 Easter Sunday, as he delivered his last message and blessing Urbi et Orbi – to the city and to the world – was no exception.
“The light of Easter impels us to break down the barriers that divide us,” Pope Francis said. These barriers are not only physical, but political, economic, and spiritual. He called on nations to use their resources not for rearmament, but to combat hunger, invest in development, and “care for one another.”
The Pope appealed to all those who hold positions of political responsibility in our world not to yield to the logic of fear but to use our resources to help those in need, “to fight hunger and encourage initiatives that promote development.” “These,” the Pope said, “are the ‘weapons’ of peace: weapons that build the future, instead of sowing seeds of death!”
