The Catholic leader called for peace while the U.S president delivered a faith-based message.
As Christians around the world celebrate Easter, Pope Francis, Donald Trump, and other world leaders join them by delivering heartfelt messages.
On April 1, 2018, the leader of the Roman Catholic church called for peace in his “Urbi et Orbi” Easter message, according to The Washington Post.
Speaking to about 80,000 faithfuls gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pontiff called for the world to be free from war and conflict.
“Beginning with the beloved and long-suffering land of Syria,” the Pope said that the resurrection of Jesus offers hope in a world “marked by so many acts of injustice and violence,” including parts of Africa affected by “hunger, endemic conflicts, and terrorism.”
“It bears fruits of hope and dignity where there are deprivation and exclusion, hunger and unemployment; where there are migrants and refugees, so often rejected by today’s culture of waste, and victims of the drug trade, human trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery,” the pope said.
Pope Francis prayed for a “swift end” to war in Syria, and reconciliation in Israel, a place “experiencing in these days the wounds of ongoing conflict that do not spare the defenseless.”
For Asia, he pleaded with “those who are directly responsible act with wisdom and discernment to promote the good of the Korean people.”
Referring to the problems in Venezuela, he hoped for the leaders to “find a just, peaceful and humane way to surmount quickly the political and humanitarian crises that grip it.”
“May there be no lack of solidarity with all those forced to leave their native lands and lacking the bare essentials for living,” said Francis about South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Donald Trump’s Easter message
The President of the United States of America delivered his season greetings on Friday morning.
On March 30, 2018, he honored the Jewish tradition of Passover and the Christian celebration of Easter.
“My fellow Americans, at this holy time of the year, families across our nation gather in homes, churches, and synagogues to light candles and to praise God,” he said.
To the Jews, Trump said the holiday is celebrated by families around the world who “give thanks to God for liberating the Jewish people from bondage in Egypt and delivering them to the promised land of Israel.”
Shifting to Easter, “For Christians, we remember the suffering and death of God’s only son and his glorious resurrection on the third day,” Trump said. “On Easter Sunday, we proclaim with joy ‘Christ is risen.’”
The two holidays serve to “remind us that God’s love redeems the world,” he noted.
“In America, we look to the light of God to guide our steps. We trust in the power of the Almighty for wisdom and strength and we praise our Heavenly Father for the blessings of freedom and the gift of eternal life.
“Happy Passover, Happy Easter. Thank you, God bless you and God bless America,” Trump concluded.
Muhammadu Buhari’s Easter message
On Thursday, March 29, 2018, the president of Nigeria also called for peace in the nation.
He called on all Nigerians “to love our neighbors and display increased spirit of tolerance and accommodation.”
“While we enjoin law-abiding fellow compatriots to work for peace and social justice in our beloved country, let there be no doubt of our resolve to firmly resist others who may want to make cheap political capital out of current national security challenges,” he said.
President Buhari also talked about his administration saying, “More than ever before, we are ready to consolidate on these gains and ensure that we improve the lot of our communities in the years ahead.
“Thankfully, our Dapchi schoolgirls who were safely released recently after 30 agonizing days in the hands of their abductors, have been reunited with their families.”
Goodluck Jonathan’s Easter message
According to Vanguard, the former President of Nigeria issued a statement encouraging everyone to love and tolerate others.
“On this Easter Sunday, I urge all Nigerians to show love and tolerance for each other, especially for those God has seen fit to put in positions of influence.
“Leaders should imbibe the qualities of our Lord and Saviour, whose resurrection we celebrate. “Even though He was heavily reviled and criticized, He never retaliated and even prayed for those who reviled Him. Nigerians ARE NOT ANIMALS.
“Together, we are perhaps some of the most decent, Godly and accommodating people on God’s earth. We must never forget that. “He is risen and Nigeria will also rise. Happy Easter Sunday,” his statement read.
Easter Greetings: Pope Francis, Trump, world leaders deliver their messages
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