Cei: 'No one can use God to justify war'

A message for Easter at a delicate geopolitical moment. The Italian Bishops' Conference emphasises that "we cannot get used to" wars and violence and Easter reminds us that "evil does not have the last word".

The message is signed by the president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, and the secretary general, Monsignor Giuseppe Baturi. "We are afflicted," it reads, "by the wars that devastate peoples and families, the violence that strikes the weakest, the wounds that run through homes, the loneliness that consumes so many existences, the fatigue of women and men who feel lost, tired, without a tomorrow".

"We grieve over the tears of children, the fears of the young, the abandonment of the elderly, the suffering of those who see their lives marked by poverty, illness, marginalisation. We cannot get used to all this. We cannot accept that evil should become normal, that harshness should win out over compassion, that indifference should take the place of fraternity'.

But "the Easter brings us back to the heart of our faith: the Crucified One is risen. Therefore, evil does not have the last word, death is not the end, wounds are not condemned to remain open forever'.

"The Risen Lord invites us not to remain spectators: we are called to choose the light, to cherish life, to care for one another, to be signs of peace" because God "rejects war" and "no one can use" God "to justify war". "In the Easter light, we would like to address a special thought to all those who suffer and await a sign of closeness in our country: to the sick, to prisoners, to those without work, to those who experience the fatigue of educating, to those who are alone, to those who can no longer see a road ahead. The Risen One stands beside each one like the wayfarer of Emmaus, he rekindles the heart, opens the eyes, sets us on our way", concludes the message of the Italian Bishops' Conference.