From the Central Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on Easter Sunday comes the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (the city and the world) message by the head of the Roman Catholic Church, an address which, according to Eucharistic Minister Joe Issa, is highly anticipated.
“Pope Francis has been quite vocal on world issues; more so than any other Pontiff in recent times, so it is difficult to tell precisely what he is going to talk about in his Easter Sunday message to the city [of Rome]and the world.
“But I think the theme of his address may reflect the occasion – the resurrection of Jesus – so he might talk about the significance of the death and resurrection of Christ to today’s daily living.
“In his message, last Christmas – the birth of Jesus – the central theme was children when he called for world peace and a world in which children can hope to have justice, security and joy. He specifically urged Christians to see Christ in children, especially those for whom there seems no hope,” Issa said, in an interview.
Issa, whose family has had an audience with Pope John Paul 11 at which he sang happy birthday to his twin sisters Zein and Munna, and once received a Papal Blessing from Pope Francis for his birthday, added: “The message this Easter is a much-anticipated one due to the many issues facing the world today, including geopolitics, gender inequality and gun violence, and his tendency to give fresh perspectives on old biblical teachings. I think Catholics around the world will be bracing for his next revelations.”
Speaking on Palm Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, a day after the massive anti-gun demonstrations across the United States, the Pope reportedly urged young people to “keep shouting and not allow the older generations to silence your voices or anaesthetise your idealism.” He allegedly did not mention the protest.
However, it was reported that Gabriella Zuniga, 16, and her sister Valentia, 15, both students from Douglas High School in Florida, where 17 people were killed in February – the event which sparked the gun protest – attended the Palm Sunday service with their parents. They were reportedly pictured holding placards, with one saying “Protect Our Children, Not Our Guns”.
Pope Francis – who has often condemned weapons manufacturing and mass shootings – recently stunned Christians when he reportedly went against the thinking of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI by declaring that the theories of evolution and the Big Bang are real and God is not “a magician with a magic wand”.
Speaking at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Pope reportedly explained that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator, arguing instead, that they “require it”.
“When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. However, that is not so,” The Independent Online quoted him as saying.
The traditional ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message is delivered twice a year on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, when the curtain comes down on what should be a hectic week for the Pope – two services on Holy Thursday, including one in which he will wash the feet of 12 inmates in a Rome jail; a procession (Way of the Cross) at Rome’s Colosseum on Good Friday; and an Easter vigil service on Saturday night, according to Reuters.
Joseph Issa, Jamaica, Sea, Sand and Sun 