Pope Leo XIV’s Easter ‘urbi et orbi’ address given April 5, 2026 {Catholic Caucus}

For centuries, the Church has joyfully sung of the event that is the origin and foundation of her faith: “Yes, Christ my hope is arisen / Christ indeed from death is risen / Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning” (Easter Sequence).

Easter is the victory of life over death, of light over darkness, of love over hatred. It is a victory that came at a very high price: Christ, the Son of the living God (cf. Mt 16:16), had to die — and die on a cross — after suffering an unjust condemnation, being mocked and tortured, and shedding all his blood. As the true immolated Lamb, he took upon himself the sin of the world (cf. Jn 1:29; 1 Pet 1:18–19) and thus freed us all — and with us, all creation — from the dominion of evil.

But how was Jesus able to be victorious? What is the strength with which he defeated once and for all the ancient adversary, the prince of this world (cf. Jn 12:31)? What is the power with which he rose from the dead, not returning to his former life, but entering into eternal life and thus opening in his own flesh the passage from this world to the Father?

This strength, this power, is God himself for he is Love who creates and generates, Love who is faithful to the end and Love who forgives and redeems.

Christ, our “victorious King,” fought and won his battle through trusting abandonment to the Father’s will, to his plan of salvation (cf. Mt 26:42). Thus he walked the path of dialogue to the very end, not in words but in deeds: to find us who were lost, he became flesh; to free us who were slaves, he became a slave; to give life to us mortals, he allowed himself to be killed on the cross.

The power with which Christ rose is entirely nonviolent. It is like that of a grain of wheat which, having rotted in the earth, grows, breaks through the clods, sprouts, and becomes a golden ear of wheat. It is even more like that of a human heart which, wounded by an offense, rejects the instinct for revenge and, filled with compassion, prays for the one who has committed the offense.

Brothers and sisters, this is the true strength that brings peace to humanity, because it fosters respectful relationships at every level: among individuals, families, social groups, and nations. It does not seek private interests, but the common good; it does not seek to impose its own plan, but to help design and carry out a plan together with others.

Yes, Christ’s resurrection is the beginning of a new humanity; it is the entrance into the true promised land, where justice, freedom, and peace reign, where all recognize one another as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father who is Love, Life, and Light.

Brothers and sisters, through his resurrection, the Lord confronts us even more powerfully with the dramatic reality of our freedom. Before the empty tomb, we can be filled with hope and wonder, like the disciples, or with fear like the guards and the Pharisees, forced to resort to lies and subterfuge rather than acknowledge that the one who had been condemned is truly risen (cf. Mt 28:11–15)!

In the light of Easter, let us allow ourselves to be amazed by Christ! Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us! Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!

We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent. Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people. Indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow. Indifferent to the economic and social consequences they produce, which we all feel. There is an ever-increasing “globalization of indifference,” to borrow an expression dear to Pope Francis, who one year ago from this loggia addressed his final words to the world, reminding us: “What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world!” (Urbi et Orbi Message, 20 April 2025).

The cross of Christ always reminds us of the suffering and pain that surround death and the agony it entails. We are all afraid of death, and out of fear we turn away, preferring not to look. We cannot continue to be indifferent! And we cannot resign ourselves to evil! Saint Augustine teaches: “If you fear death, love the resurrection!” (Sermon 124, 4). Let us too love the resurrection, which reminds us that evil is not the last word, because it has been defeated by the Risen One.

He passed through death to give us life and peace: “I leave you peace; I give you my peace. Not as the world gives it, I give it to you” (Jn 14:27). The peace that Jesus gives us is not merely the silence of weapons, but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us! Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the peace of Christ! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts! For this reason, I invite everyone to join me in a prayer vigil for peace that we will celebrate here in Saint Peter’s Basilica next Saturday, April 11.

On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars and marked by a hatred and indifference that make us feel powerless in the face of evil. To the Lord we entrust all hearts that suffer and await the true peace that only he can give. Let us entrust ourselves to him and open our hearts to him! He is the only one who makes all things new (cf. Rev 21:5).

The Land and the Word
By Tom Gilbreath

In Genesis 17:8, God solemnly promised to Abraham, “I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan.” Before that, in Genesis 13:14-15, the Lord told him, “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are — northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.”

God told Abraham to look around with his physical eyes at the actual land surrounding him. The wording is unmistakable. God wasn’t just going to give the land to Abraham’s physical descendants forever, but He had already done so. In fact, it is one of the Bible’s recurring themes: “I give to you and your descendants” — present tense. Done deal. God didn’t suggest it. He declared it.

That brings us to February of this year, and a woman named Carrie Prejean Boller. She was fired from her position on the Trump Administration’s Religious Liberty Commission. During a hearing on antisemitism, Boller seemed to harass victims of campus antisemitic attacks, often asking, “Are you willing to condemn what Israel has done in Gaza?” She says they fired her for taking the Catholic position on Israel.

However, fellow Catholic commission members Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron released a statement disagreeing with her.

The bishop called her claims “absurd.”

Boller defends Candace Owens despite Owens’ open prejudice against both Israel and Jews. Boller has become a hero to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other radical Muslim organizations. And she now reposts comments by extreme left-wing groups such as the Democratic Underground. The former conservative firebrand seems eager to join forces with anyone attacking Israel.

It’s no surprise that she landed a friendly interview on Tucker Carlson’s show. She took it on herself to speak for the entire Catholic Church, which she became a part of at Easter last year. She said, “We are the new Israel. That’s what the Church teaches. We are the fulfillment of the old Israel… The land means nothing anymore.”

I disagree with Catholicism on many things, but we agree that “replacement theology” is an error. The Vatican II document, Nostra Aetate, issued by Pope Paul VI, said, “God holds the Jews most dear for the sake of their Fathers; He does not repent of the gifts He makes or of the calls He issues.”

That statement reflects Romans 11:29, a passage about Israel and the Jews: “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” That’s the same chapter that says in verse 1, “Has God cast away His people? Certainly not!” Then it makes clear that “His people” in this verse refers to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Boller often quotes the Bible and seems to have some knowledge of its teachings. That’s why it seems so strange for her to declare, “The land means nothing anymore.” That’s not just an attack on Jews. It’s an attack on the character of God. If the land means nothing, then God’s Word means nothing. We call it the Promised Land because He promised it to Abraham’s descendants forever.

He placed no conditions on that promise. In Ezekiel 36:22, He said He would keep His promise, not because the house of Israel deserves it, but “for My holy name’s sake.”

God keeps His promises. And at this moment, the whole world can see the miracle of the Jews and their return to the Holy Land. Boller and others have equated belief that God will keep His word to Abraham with “worshiping Israel.” What it really means is that you know you can trust God’s perfect character and His complete honesty — always.

///

This Carrie boller is one such newcomer to Catholicism.

Of note from this article.

“
Nostra Aetate, issued by Pope Paul VI, said, “God holds the Jews most dear for the sake of their Fathers; He does not repent of the gifts He makes or of the calls He issues.” “

Gee, the media didn’t report this , nor has cronos.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.