May Corona jointly take away the war epidemic

Nobody was surprised by the fact that the Pope, at Easter message addressed to Rome and the world, focused this year to a great extent on the situation in Ukraine. Pope Francis, who issued this message, has adhered since the start of the war "epidemic", to denouncing violence, killing, destruction, and forced displacement. He sent his own representatives to stay alongside the refugees in Poland in the first place. He then sent them to celebrate the Feast of the Resurrection in extraordinary atmospheres in Ukraine.

In his annual message marking the Feast of the Resurrection which he delivered from his balcony, Pope Francis said, "May there be peace for war-torn Ukraine, so sorely tried by the violence and destruction of the cruel and senseless war into which it was dragged. In this terrible night of suffering and death, may a new dawn of hope soon appear! Let there be a decision for peace. May there be an end to the flexing of muscles while people are suffering. Please, please, let us not get used to war! Let us all commit ourselves to imploring peace, from our balconies and in our streets! Peace! May the leaders of nations hear people’s plea for peace. May they listen to that troubling question posed by scientists almost seventy years ago: “Shall we put an end to the human race, or shall mankind renounce war?”

Then he proceeded to talk about the tragedies that still worry the world, as was the case last year when the Arab countries took the lion’s share in the prayers marking the Feast of the Resurrection. He started first with Jerusalem, as he called for effecting free entry to the holy places. He said," May there be peace for the Middle East, racked by years of conflict and division. On this glorious day, let us ask for peace upon Jerusalem and peace upon all those who love her, namely Christians, Jews and Muslims alike. May Israelis, Palestinians and all who dwell in the Holy City, together with the pilgrims, experience the beauty of peace, dwell in fraternity and enjoy free access to the Holy Places in mutual respect for the rights of each."

He said, "May there be peace and reconciliation for the peoples of Lebanon, Syria and Iraq." Then he proceeded to talk about Libya saying, "May there be peace also for Libya, so that it may find stability after years of tensions."  Then the "divine prayers" proceeded to Yemen. He said, "May there be peace in Yemen, which suffers from a conflict forgotten by all, with continuous victims. May the truce signed in recent days restore hope to its people." Prayers also mentioned Myanmar, Afghanistan, the African continent and even Latin America where crime, violence, corruption, and drug trafficking prevail.

 It is very nice while marking  the days of feasts to free oneself from narrow thinking by praying for all those who suffer in the world. Humanity has almost completely exited the Corona tunnel, side-by- side and hand-in-hand in order to continue the procession of construction, progress, and prosperity. Yet, the real and lasting thirst is aimed at the attainment of peace that is still absent in the world, though the atmospheres seem calm in some areas that witnessed conflicts in the past years. May the Corona pandemic that makes final exiting will take with it the epidemic of wars forever.

Furthermore, no one can skip talking about the holy city, namely noble Jerusalem in which people concelebrate these days the Christian Feast of the Resurrection, the Holy Month of Ramada, and the Jewish Passover. Why not view the concurrence of these feasts  as an incentive for familiarity, convergence, and respect for people’s feelings, instead of the Israelis' repeated storming of worshipers in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and Al-Aqsa Mosque, with the aim of changing the status quo in these sanctuaries? May the world comprehend the fact that a just and real peace in Jerusalem will be the key for peace in the entire world.

Let us conclude Pope Francis' message by saying, "Peace is possible, peace is a duty, and peace is the cardinal responsibility of all people."