KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.
North Korea's nuclear weapons are a "treasure" not to be traded for "billions of dollars," the statement said. They "are neither a political bargaining chip nor a thing for economic dealings to be presented to the place of dialogue or be put on the table of negotiations aimed at forcing (Pyongyang) to disarm itself," it said.
North Korea's "nuclear armed forces represent the nation's life, which can never be abandoned as long as the imperialists and nuclear threats exist on earth," the statement said.North Korea has called the U.S. nuclear arsenal a threat to its existence since the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula still technically at war. Pyongyang justifies its own nuclear pursuit in large part on that perceived U.S. threat.While analysts call North Korea's threats largely brinkmanship, there is some fear that a localized skirmish might escalate. Seoul has vowed to respond harshly should North Korea provoke its military. Naval skirmishes in disputed Yellow Sea waters off the Korean coast have led to bloody battles several times over the years. Attacks blamed on Pyongyang in 2010 killed 50 South Koreans.The plenary statement also called for strengthening the moribund economy, which Kim has put an emphasis on in his public statements since taking power after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in late 2011. The United Nations says two-thirds of the country's 24 million people face regular food shortages.The statement called for diversified foreign trade and investment, and a focus on agriculture, light industry and a "self-reliant nuclear power industry," including a light water reactor. There was also a call for "the development of space science and technology," including more satellite launches. North Korea put a satellite into orbit on a long-range rocket in December. The United Nations called the launch a cover for a banned test of ballistic missile technology and increased sanctions on the North.The central committee is a top decision-making body of the North's ruling Workers' Party. The committee is tasked with organizing and guiding the party's major projects, and its plenary meeting is usually convened once a year, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry. South Korean media said the last plenary session was held in 2010 and that this was the first time Kim Jong Un had presided over the meeting.The White House says the United States is taking North Korea's threats seriously, but has also noted Pyongyang's history of "bellicose rhetoric."On Thursday, U.S. military officials revealed that two B-2 stealth bombers dropped dummy munitions on an uninhabited South Korean island as part of annual defense drills that Pyongyang sees as rehearsals for invasion. Hours later, Kim ordered his generals to put rockets on standby and threatened to strike American targets if provoked.
___Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim contributed to this report. Follow Foster Klug at www.twitter.com/APKlug.
Christians in Holy Land, Mideast celebrate Easter
By | Associated Press – 1 hr 47 mins ago MAR 31,13
JERUSALEM (AP) — Catholics and Protestants flocked to churches to celebrate Easter
on Sunday in the Holy Land and across the broader Middle East, praying,
singing and rejoicing as a new pope pleaded for peace in the region.Some Mideast Christian communities are in flux, while others feel isolated from their Muslim-majority societies. In places like Iraq, they have sometimes been the victims of bloody sectarian attacks.At St. Joseph Chaldean Church in Baghdad, some 200 worshippers attended an Easter mass that the Rev. Saad Sirop
led behind concrete blast walls and a tight security cordon. Churches
have been under tighter security since a 2010 attack killed dozens."We pray for love and peace to spread through the world," said worshipper Fatin Yousef,
49, who arrived immaculately dressed for the holiday. She wore a black
skirt, low-heeled pumps and a striped shirt and her hair tumbled in
salon-created curls.It was the first Easter since the
election of Pope Francis and she and others expressed hope in their new
spiritual leader. "We hope Pope Francis will help make it better for Christians in Iraq," she said.The pope spoke of the Middle East in his first Easter message,
pleading for Israelis and Palestinians to resume negotiations to "end a
conflict that has lasted all too long."He also called for peace in Iraq and in Syria. "How much blood has
been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political
solution to the crisis will be found?" Francis asked.In Jerusalem, Catholics worshipped in the church of the Holy
Sepulcher, built on a hill where tradition holds that Jesus was
crucified, briefly entombed and then resurrected. The cavernous,
maze-like structure is home to different churches belonging to rival
sects that are crammed into different nooks and even the roof.Clergy in white and gold robes led the service held around the
Edicule, the small chamber at the core of the church marking the site of
Jesus' tomb. Many foreign visitors were among the worshippers."It's very special," said Arthur Stanton, a visitor from Australia.
"It represents the reason why we were put on this planet, and the
salvation that has come to us through Jesus."Israel's Tourism Ministry said it expects some 150,000 visitors
during holy week and the Jewish festival of Passover, which coincide
this year. It is one of the busiest times of the year for the local
tourism industry.Protestants held Easter ceremonies outside Jerusalem's walled Old
City at the Garden Tomb, a small, enclosed green area that some identify
as the site of Jesus' burial. Another service was held at the Church of
the Nativity in Bethlehem, Jesus' traditional birthplace.Catholics and Protestants, who follow the new, Gregorian calendar, celebrate Easter on Sunday. Orthodox Christians, who follow the old, Julian calendar, will mark it in May.There are no precise numbers on how many Christians there are in the
Middle East. Census figures showing the size of religious and ethnic
groups are hard to obtain.Christian populations are thought to be shrinking or at least growing
more slowly than their Muslim compatriots in much of the Middle East,
largely due to emigration as they leave for better opportunities and to
join families abroad. Some feel more uncomfortable amid growing Muslim
majorities that they see as becoming more outwardly pious and
politically Islamist over the decades.The situation for some Mideast Christians is in flux.
In Syria, Christians, who make up some 10 percent of the country's 23 million people, have mostly stayed on the sidelines of the two-year civil war. While outraged by the regime of Bashar Assad's brutal efforts to quash the opposition, they are equally frightened by the Islamist rhetoric of many rebels and their heavy reliance on extremist fighters.Christians make up some 10 percent of Egypt's 85 million people. Human rights groups say the police under former authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak rarely took the needed steps to prevent flare-ups of violence against Christians, a situation that persisted since he was overthrown in 2011. The rise of Islamists in Egypt has emboldened extremists to target churches and Coptic property, leading to a spike in attacks and sometimes unprecedented steps like the evacuation of entire Christian populations from villages.In Libya, most Christians are Egyptian laborers who are working in the oil-rich country. Tensions rose last month after assailants torched a church in the eastern city of Benghazi and militias arrested some 100 Christians, mostly Egyptian, accusing them of proselytizing.In Iraq, Christians have suffered repeated attacks by Islamic militants since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and hundreds of thousands have left the country. Church officials estimate that the Christian communities have shrunk by at least half. The worst attack was at Baghdad's soaring Our Lady of Salvation church in October 2010 that killed more than 50 worshippers and wounded scores of others.There currently are an estimated 400,000 to 600,000 Christians in Iraq, with most belonging to ancient eastern churches. Some two-thirds of Iraq's Christians are Catholics of the Chaldean church and the smaller Assyrian Catholic church. Members of both churches chant in dialects of ancient Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke.Yousef, the worshipper in Baghdad, said lingering fear pushed her to send her son to live with relatives in Arizona last year. Yousef said she was arranging for her other daughter and son to immigrate."There's still fear here, and there's no stability in this country," she said.Iraqi officials have made efforts to secure churches since the violence of 2010.High blast walls topped with wire netting and barbed wire surrounded the St. Joseph Church in Baghdad's middle-class district of Karradeh. Four Iraqi Christian volunteers stood at the church entrance, double-checking the people entering. And blue-khaki clad Iraqi police guarded roads surrounding the church and checked papers of passers-by as worshippers filed inside.White-robed church volunteers marched down the church aisle behind Father Sirop, who waved incense and chanted in the white-painted church adorned with three ornate chandeliers and a series of simple paintings illustrating the life of Christ.Worshippers stood for lengthy passages of Sirop's mass, at one point bursting into applause when he told them, "Celebrate! You are Christians!"___
Hadid reported from Baghdad. Follow Hadid on twitter.com/diaahadid and Goldenberg on twitter.com/tgoldenberg
In Syria, Christians, who make up some 10 percent of the country's 23 million people, have mostly stayed on the sidelines of the two-year civil war. While outraged by the regime of Bashar Assad's brutal efforts to quash the opposition, they are equally frightened by the Islamist rhetoric of many rebels and their heavy reliance on extremist fighters.Christians make up some 10 percent of Egypt's 85 million people. Human rights groups say the police under former authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak rarely took the needed steps to prevent flare-ups of violence against Christians, a situation that persisted since he was overthrown in 2011. The rise of Islamists in Egypt has emboldened extremists to target churches and Coptic property, leading to a spike in attacks and sometimes unprecedented steps like the evacuation of entire Christian populations from villages.In Libya, most Christians are Egyptian laborers who are working in the oil-rich country. Tensions rose last month after assailants torched a church in the eastern city of Benghazi and militias arrested some 100 Christians, mostly Egyptian, accusing them of proselytizing.In Iraq, Christians have suffered repeated attacks by Islamic militants since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and hundreds of thousands have left the country. Church officials estimate that the Christian communities have shrunk by at least half. The worst attack was at Baghdad's soaring Our Lady of Salvation church in October 2010 that killed more than 50 worshippers and wounded scores of others.There currently are an estimated 400,000 to 600,000 Christians in Iraq, with most belonging to ancient eastern churches. Some two-thirds of Iraq's Christians are Catholics of the Chaldean church and the smaller Assyrian Catholic church. Members of both churches chant in dialects of ancient Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke.Yousef, the worshipper in Baghdad, said lingering fear pushed her to send her son to live with relatives in Arizona last year. Yousef said she was arranging for her other daughter and son to immigrate."There's still fear here, and there's no stability in this country," she said.Iraqi officials have made efforts to secure churches since the violence of 2010.High blast walls topped with wire netting and barbed wire surrounded the St. Joseph Church in Baghdad's middle-class district of Karradeh. Four Iraqi Christian volunteers stood at the church entrance, double-checking the people entering. And blue-khaki clad Iraqi police guarded roads surrounding the church and checked papers of passers-by as worshippers filed inside.White-robed church volunteers marched down the church aisle behind Father Sirop, who waved incense and chanted in the white-painted church adorned with three ornate chandeliers and a series of simple paintings illustrating the life of Christ.Worshippers stood for lengthy passages of Sirop's mass, at one point bursting into applause when he told them, "Celebrate! You are Christians!"___
Hadid reported from Baghdad. Follow Hadid on twitter.com/diaahadid and Goldenberg on twitter.com/tgoldenberg
Pope's foot-wash a final straw for traditionalists
By | Associated Press – Fri, Mar 29, 2013- View PhotoAssociated Press/Gregorio Borgia - Pope Francis, right, looks up to the Crucifix during the Passion of Christ Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Friday, March 29, 2013. Pope Francis began the
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has won over many hearts and minds with his simple style and focus on serving the world's poorest, but he has devastated traditionalist Catholics who adored his predecessor, Benedict XVI, for restoring much of the traditional pomp to the papacy.Francis' decision to disregard
church law and wash the feet of two girls — a Serbian Muslim and an
Italian Catholic — during a Holy Thursday ritual has become something of
the final straw, evidence that Francis has little or no interest in one
of the key priorities of Benedict's papacy: reviving the pre-Vatican II
traditions of the Catholic Church.
One of the most-read
traditionalist blogs, "Rorate Caeli," reacted to the foot-washing
ceremony by declaring the death of Benedict's eight-year project to
correct what he considered the botched interpretations of the Second Vatican Council's modernizing reforms."The official end of the reform of the reform — by example," ''Rorate
Caeli" lamented in its report on Francis' Holy Thursday ritual.A like-minded commentator in Francis' native Argentina, Marcelo
Gonzalez at International Catholic Panorama, reacted to Francis'
election with this phrase: "The Horror." Gonzalez's beef? While serving
as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, the then-Cardinal Jorge Mario
Bergoglio's efforts to revive the old Latin Mass so dear to Benedict and
traditionalists were "non-existent."Virtually everything he has done since being elected pope, every
gesture, every decision, has rankled traditionalists in one way or
another.The night he was chosen pope, March 13, Francis emerged from the
loggia of St. Peter's Basilica without the ermine-rimmed red velvet
cape, or mozzetta, used by popes past for official duties, wearing
instead the simple white cassock of the papacy. The cape has since come
to symbolize his rejection of the trappings of the papacy and to some
degree the pontificate of Benedict XVI, since the German pontiff
relished in resurrecting many of the liturgical vestments of his
predecessors.Francis also received the cardinals' pledges of obedience after his
election not from a chair on a pedestal as popes normally do but rather
standing, on their same level. For traditionalists who fondly recall the
days when popes were carried on a sedan chair, that may have stung. In
the days since, he has called for "intensified" dialogue with Islam — a
gesture that rubs traditionalists the wrong way because they view such a
heavy focus on interfaith dialogue as a sign of religious relativism.Francis may have rubbed salt into the wounds with his comments at the
Good Friday procession at Rome's Colosseum, which re-enacts Jesus
Christ's crucifixion, praising "the friendship of our Muslim brothers
and sisters" during a prayer ceremony that recalled the suffering of
Christians in the Middle East.Francis also raised traditional eyebrows when he refused the golden
pectoral cross offered to him right after his election by Monsignor
Guido Marini, the Vatican's liturgy guru who under Benedict became the
symbol of Benedict's effort to restore the Gregorian chant and heavy
silk brocaded vestments of the pre-Vatican II liturgy to papal Masses.Marini has gamely stayed by Francis' side as the new pope puts his
own stamp on Vatican Masses with no-nonsense vestments and easy
off-the-cuff homilies. But there is widespread expectation that Francis
will soon name a new master of liturgical ceremonies more in line with
his priorities of bringing the church and its message of love and
service to ordinary people without the "high church" trappings of his
predecessor.There were certainly none of those trappings on display Thursday at
the Casal del Marmo juvenile detention facility in Rome, where the
76-year-old Francis got down on his knees to wash and kiss the feet of
12 inmates, two of them women. The rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the
feet of his 12 apostles during the Last Supper before his crucifixion, a
sign of his love and service to them.The church's liturgical law holds that only men can participate in
the rite, given that Jesus' apostles were all male. Priests and bishops
have routinely petitioned for exemptions to include women, but the law
is clear.Francis, however, is the church's chief lawmaker, so in theory he can do whatever he wants."The pope does not need anybody's permission to make exceptions to
how ecclesiastical law relates to him," noted conservative columnist
Jimmy Akin in the National Catholic Register. But Akin echoed concerns
raised by canon lawyer Edward Peters, an adviser to the Vatican's high
court, that Francis was setting a "questionable example" by simply
ignoring the church's own rules."People naturally imitate their leader. That's the whole point behind
Jesus washing the disciples' feet. He was explicitly and intentionally
setting an example for them," he said. "Pope Francis knows that he is
setting an example."The inclusion of women in the rite is problematic for some because it
could be seen as an opening of sorts to women's ordination. The
Catholic Church restricts the priesthood to men, arguing that Jesus and
his 12 apostles were male.Francis is clearly opposed to women's ordination. But by washing the
feet of women, he jolted traditionalists who for years have been
unbending in insisting that the ritual is for men only and proudly
holding up as evidence documentation from the Vatican's liturgy office
saying so."If someone is washing the feet of any females ... he is in violation
of the Holy Thursday rubrics," Peters wrote in a 2006 article that he
reposted earlier this month on his blog.In the face of the pope doing that very thing, Peters and many
conservative and traditionalist commentators have found themselves
trying to put the best face on a situation they clearly don't like yet
can't do much about lest they be openly voicing dissent with the pope.By Thursday evening, Peters was saying that Francis had merely "disregarded" the law — not violated it.The Rev. John Zuhlsdorf, a traditionalist blogger who has never shied
from picking fights with priests, bishops or cardinals when liturgical
abuses are concerned, had to measure his comments when the purported
abuser was the pope himself."Before liberals and traditionalists both have a spittle-flecked
nutty, each for their own reasons, try to figure out what he is trying
to do," Zuhlsdorf wrote in a conciliatory piece.But, in characteristic form, he added: "What liberals forget in their
present crowing is that even as Francis makes himself — and the church —
more popular by projecting (a) compassionate image, he will
simultaneously make it harder for them to criticize him when he
reaffirms the doctrinal points they want him to overturn."One of the key barometers of how traditionalists view Francis
concerns his take on the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass. The Second Vatican
Council, the 1962-65 meetings that brought the church into the modern
world, allowed the celebration of the Mass in the vernacular rather than
Latin. In the decades that followed, the so-called Tridentine Rite fell
out of use almost entirely.Traditionalist Catholics who were attached to the old rite blame many
of the ills afflicting the Catholic Church today — a drop in priestly
vocations, empty pews in Europe and beyond — on the liturgical abuses
that they say have proliferated with the celebration of the new form of
Mass.In a bid to reach out to them, Benedict in 2007 relaxed restrictions
on celebrating the old Latin Mass. The move was aimed also at
reconciling with a group of schismatic traditionalists, the Society of
St. Pius X, who split from Rome precisely over the Vatican II reforms,
in particular its call for Mass in the vernacular and outreach to other
religions, especially Judaism and Islam.Benedict took extraordinary measures to bring the society back under
Rome's wing during his pontificate, but negotiations stalled.The society has understandably reacted coolly to Francis' election,
reminding the pope that his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, was told by
Christ to go and "rebuild my church." For the society, that means
rebuilding it in its own, pre-Vatican II vision.The head of the society for South America, the Rev. Christian Bouchacourt, was less than generous in his assessment of Francis."He cultivates a militant humility, but can prove humiliating for the
church,"Bouchacourt said in a recent article, criticizing the
"dilapidated" state of the clergy in Buenos Aires and the "disaster" of
its seminary. "With him, we risk to see once again the Masses of Paul
VI's pontificate, a far cry from Benedict XVI's efforts to restore to
their honor the worthy liturgical ceremonies."___Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfieldPope makes Easter pleas for Mideast peace
By | Associated Press – 2 hrs 34 mins ago MAR 31,13
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis
delivered a plea for peace in his first Easter Sunday message to the
world, decrying the seemingly endless conflicts in the Middle East and
on the Korean peninsula after celebrating Mass at an outdoor altar
before more than 250,000 people in flower-bedecked St. Peter's Square.Francis shared in his flock's exuberance as they celebrated
Christianity's core belief that Jesus Christ rose from the dead
following crucifixion. After Mass, he stepped aboard an open-topped
white popemobile for a cheerful spin through the joyous crowd, kissing
babies and patting children on the head.One admirer of both the pope and of the pope's favorite soccer team,
Argentina's Saints of San Lorenzo, insisted that Francis take a team
jersey he was waving at the pontiff. A delighted Francis obliged,
briefly holding up the shirt, and the crowd roared in approval.Francis has repeatedly put concern for the poor and suffering at the
center of his messages, and he pursued his promotion of the causes of
peace and social justice in the Easter speech he delivered from the
central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the same vantage point above
the square where he was introduced to the world as the first Latin
American pope on March 13.The Roman Catholic leader aimed his Easter greetings at "every house
and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in
hospitals, in prisons." Francis prayed that Jesus would inspire people
to "change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into
peace."As popes before him have, he urged Israelis and Palestinians to
resume peace talks and end a conflict that "has lasted all too long."
And, in reflecting on the two-year-old Syrian crisis, Francis asked,
"How much suffering must there still be before a political solution" can
be found?
The pope also expressed desire for a "spirit of reconciliation" on the Korean peninsula, where North Korea says it has entered "a state of war" with South Korea. He also decried warfare and terrorism in Africa, as well as what he called the 21st century's most extensive form of slavery: human trafficking.The first pontiff to come from the Jesuits, an order with special concern for the poor, and the first pope to name himself after St. Francis, a medieval figure who renounced wealth to preach to the down-and-out, Francis lamented that the world is "still divided by greed looking for easy gain.Earlier, wearing cream-colored vestments, Francis celebrated Mass on the esplanade in front of the basilica at an altar set up under a white canopy. He frequently bowed his head as if in silent reflection.The sun competed with clouds in the sky Sunday, but the square was a riot of floral color in Rome, where chilly winter has postponed the blossoming of many flowers. Yellow forsythia and white lilies shone, along with bursts of lavender and pink, from potted azalea, rhododendron, wisteria and other plants.Francis thanked florists from the Netherlands for donating the flowers. He also advised people to let love transform their lives, or as he put it, "let those desert places in our hearts bloom."The Vatican had prepared a list of brief, Easter greetings in 65 languages, but Francis didn't read them. The Vatican didn't say why not, but has said that the new pope, at least for now, feels at ease using Italian, the everyday language of the Holy See. Francis also has stressed his role as a pastor to his flock, and, as Bishop of Rome, Italian would be his language.The pontiff improvised his parting words to the crowd. He repeated his Easter greeting to those "who have come from all over the world to this square at the heart of Christianity" as well as to those "linked by modern technology," a reference to TV and radio coverage as well as social media.Francis added that he was especially remembering "the weakest and the neediest" and praying that all of humanity be guided along "the paths of justice, love and peace."In another departure from Easter tradition, Francis won't be heading for some post-holiday relaxation at the Vatican's summer palace in Castel Gandolfo, in the hills southeast of Rome. That retreat is already occupied by his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who went there in the last hours of his papacy on Feb. 28. Benedict became the first pope in 600 years to resign from the position, and eventually is to move back to the Vatican, after a convent there is readied for him.Francis so far has declined to move into Benedict's former apartment in the Apostolic Palace, into the rooms whose studio overlooks St. Peter's Square. He is still in the Vatican hotel where earlier this month he was staying along with other cardinals participating in the secret conclave to choose Benedict's successor.While Francis has just begun to make his mark on the church, it is plain he has little desire to embrace much of the pomp customarily associated with the office.
This is what Easter is: it is the exodus, the passage of human beings from slavery to sin and evil to the freedom of love and goodness. Because God is life, life alone, and we are his glory: the living man (cf. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, 4,20,5-7).Dear brothers and sisters, Christ died and rose once for all, and for everyone, but the power of the Resurrection, this passover from slavery to evil to the freedom of goodness, must be accomplished in every age, in our concrete existence, in our everyday lives. How many deserts, even today, do human beings need to cross! Above all, the desert within, when we have no love for God or neighbour, when we fail to realize that we are guardians of all that the Creator has given us and continues to give us. God's mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14).So this is the invitation which I address to everyone: Let us accept the grace of Christ's Resurrection! Let us be renewed by God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish.And so we ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace. Yes, Christ is our peace, and through him we implore peace for all the world.Peace for the Middle East, and particularly between Israelis and Palestinians, who struggle to find the road of agreement, that they may willingly and courageously resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long. Peace in Iraq, that every act of violence may end, and above all for dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort. How much blood has been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution to the crisis will be found? Peace for Africa, still the scene of violent conflicts. In Mali, may unity and stability be restored; in Nigeria, where attacks sadly continue, gravely threatening the lives of many innocent people, and where great numbers of persons, including children, are held hostage by terrorist groups. Peace in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in the Central African Republic, where many have been forced to leave their homes and continue to live in fear.Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean peninsula: may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow.Peace in the whole world, still divided by greed looking for easy gain, wounded by the selfishness which threatens human life and the family, selfishness that continues in human trafficking, the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century; human trafficking is the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century! Peace to the whole world, torn apart by violence linked to drug trafficking and by the iniquitous exploitation of natural resources! Peace to this our Earth! Made the risen Jesus bring comfort to the victims of natural disasters and make us responsible guardians of creation.Dear brothers and sisters, to all of you who are listening to me, from Rome and from all over of the world, I address the invitation of the Psalm: "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever. Let Israel say: 'His steadfast love endures for ever'" (Ps 117:1-2).
Greeting
Dear Brothers and Sisters, to you who have come from all over the world to this Square at the heart of Christianity, and to you linked by modern technology, I repeat my greeting: Happy Easter! Bear in your families and in your countries the message of joy, hope and peace which every year, on this day, is powerfully renewed.May the risen Lord, the conqueror of sin and death, be a support to you all, especially to the weakest and neediest. Thank you for your presence and for the witness of your faith. A thought and a special thank-you for the beautiful flowers, which come from the Netherlands. To all of you I affectionately say again: may the risen Christ guide all of you and the whole of humanity on the paths of justice, love and peace.
__Copyright Vatican Publishing House-FROM news.yahoo.
The pope also expressed desire for a "spirit of reconciliation" on the Korean peninsula, where North Korea says it has entered "a state of war" with South Korea. He also decried warfare and terrorism in Africa, as well as what he called the 21st century's most extensive form of slavery: human trafficking.The first pontiff to come from the Jesuits, an order with special concern for the poor, and the first pope to name himself after St. Francis, a medieval figure who renounced wealth to preach to the down-and-out, Francis lamented that the world is "still divided by greed looking for easy gain.Earlier, wearing cream-colored vestments, Francis celebrated Mass on the esplanade in front of the basilica at an altar set up under a white canopy. He frequently bowed his head as if in silent reflection.The sun competed with clouds in the sky Sunday, but the square was a riot of floral color in Rome, where chilly winter has postponed the blossoming of many flowers. Yellow forsythia and white lilies shone, along with bursts of lavender and pink, from potted azalea, rhododendron, wisteria and other plants.Francis thanked florists from the Netherlands for donating the flowers. He also advised people to let love transform their lives, or as he put it, "let those desert places in our hearts bloom."The Vatican had prepared a list of brief, Easter greetings in 65 languages, but Francis didn't read them. The Vatican didn't say why not, but has said that the new pope, at least for now, feels at ease using Italian, the everyday language of the Holy See. Francis also has stressed his role as a pastor to his flock, and, as Bishop of Rome, Italian would be his language.The pontiff improvised his parting words to the crowd. He repeated his Easter greeting to those "who have come from all over the world to this square at the heart of Christianity" as well as to those "linked by modern technology," a reference to TV and radio coverage as well as social media.Francis added that he was especially remembering "the weakest and the neediest" and praying that all of humanity be guided along "the paths of justice, love and peace."In another departure from Easter tradition, Francis won't be heading for some post-holiday relaxation at the Vatican's summer palace in Castel Gandolfo, in the hills southeast of Rome. That retreat is already occupied by his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who went there in the last hours of his papacy on Feb. 28. Benedict became the first pope in 600 years to resign from the position, and eventually is to move back to the Vatican, after a convent there is readied for him.Francis so far has declined to move into Benedict's former apartment in the Apostolic Palace, into the rooms whose studio overlooks St. Peter's Square. He is still in the Vatican hotel where earlier this month he was staying along with other cardinals participating in the secret conclave to choose Benedict's successor.While Francis has just begun to make his mark on the church, it is plain he has little desire to embrace much of the pomp customarily associated with the office.
Official Vatican text of pope's speech
– 3 hrs ago MAR 31,13
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Following is the official English language translation provided by the Vatican of Pope Francis' Easter Sunday message, delivered in Italian from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
___
Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Easter! Happy Easter!
What a joy it is for me to announce this message: Christ is risen! I
would like it to go out to every house and every family, especially
where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons.Most of all, I would like it to enter every heart, for it is there
that God wants to sow this Good News: Jesus is risen, there is hope for
you, you are no longer in the power of sin, of evil! Love has triumphed,
mercy has been victorious! The mercy of God always triumphs! We too, like the women who were Jesus' disciples, who went to the
tomb and found it empty, may wonder what this event means (cf. Lk 24:4).
What does it mean that Jesus is risen? It means that the love of God is
stronger than evil and death itself; it means that the love of God can
transform our lives and let those desert places in our hearts bloom. The
love God can do this! This same love for which the Son of God became man and followed the
way of humility and self-giving to the very end, down to hell - to the
abyss of separation from God - this same merciful love has flooded with
light the dead body of Jesus, has transfigured it, has made it pass into
eternal life. Jesus did not return to his former life, to earthly life,
but entered into the glorious life of God and he entered there with our
humanity, opening us to a future of hope.This is what Easter is: it is the exodus, the passage of human beings from slavery to sin and evil to the freedom of love and goodness. Because God is life, life alone, and we are his glory: the living man (cf. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, 4,20,5-7).Dear brothers and sisters, Christ died and rose once for all, and for everyone, but the power of the Resurrection, this passover from slavery to evil to the freedom of goodness, must be accomplished in every age, in our concrete existence, in our everyday lives. How many deserts, even today, do human beings need to cross! Above all, the desert within, when we have no love for God or neighbour, when we fail to realize that we are guardians of all that the Creator has given us and continues to give us. God's mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14).So this is the invitation which I address to everyone: Let us accept the grace of Christ's Resurrection! Let us be renewed by God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish.And so we ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace. Yes, Christ is our peace, and through him we implore peace for all the world.Peace for the Middle East, and particularly between Israelis and Palestinians, who struggle to find the road of agreement, that they may willingly and courageously resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long. Peace in Iraq, that every act of violence may end, and above all for dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort. How much blood has been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution to the crisis will be found? Peace for Africa, still the scene of violent conflicts. In Mali, may unity and stability be restored; in Nigeria, where attacks sadly continue, gravely threatening the lives of many innocent people, and where great numbers of persons, including children, are held hostage by terrorist groups. Peace in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in the Central African Republic, where many have been forced to leave their homes and continue to live in fear.Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean peninsula: may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow.Peace in the whole world, still divided by greed looking for easy gain, wounded by the selfishness which threatens human life and the family, selfishness that continues in human trafficking, the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century; human trafficking is the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century! Peace to the whole world, torn apart by violence linked to drug trafficking and by the iniquitous exploitation of natural resources! Peace to this our Earth! Made the risen Jesus bring comfort to the victims of natural disasters and make us responsible guardians of creation.Dear brothers and sisters, to all of you who are listening to me, from Rome and from all over of the world, I address the invitation of the Psalm: "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever. Let Israel say: 'His steadfast love endures for ever'" (Ps 117:1-2).
Greeting
Dear Brothers and Sisters, to you who have come from all over the world to this Square at the heart of Christianity, and to you linked by modern technology, I repeat my greeting: Happy Easter! Bear in your families and in your countries the message of joy, hope and peace which every year, on this day, is powerfully renewed.May the risen Lord, the conqueror of sin and death, be a support to you all, especially to the weakest and neediest. Thank you for your presence and for the witness of your faith. A thought and a special thank-you for the beautiful flowers, which come from the Netherlands. To all of you I affectionately say again: may the risen Christ guide all of you and the whole of humanity on the paths of justice, love and peace.
__Copyright Vatican Publishing House-FROM news.yahoo.
NKorea calls nukes country's 'life' at big meeting
By | Associated Press – 3 hrs ago MAR 31,13
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A top North Korean decision-making body issued a pointed warning Sunday, saying that nuclear weapons are "the nation's life" and will not be traded even for "billions of dollars."
The comments came in a statement released after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over the plenary meeting
of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party. The meeting,
which set a "new strategic line" calling for building both a stronger
economy and nuclear arsenal, comes amid a series of near-daily threats
from Pyongyang
in recent weeks, including a vow to launch nuclear strikes on the United
States and a warning Saturday that the Korean Peninsula was in a "state
of war."Pyongyang is angry over annual U.S.-South Korean military drills and a
new round of U.N. sanctions that followed its Feb. 12 nuclear test, the
country's third. Analysts see a full-scale North Korean
attack as unlikely and say the threats are more likely efforts to
provoke softer policies toward Pyongyang from a new government in Seoul,
to win diplomatic talks with Washington that could get the North more
aid, and to solidify the young North Korean leader's image and military
credentials at home.North Korea made reference to those outside views in the statement it
released through the official Korean Central News Agency following the
plenary meeting.North Korea's nuclear weapons are a "treasure" not to be traded for "billions of dollars," the statement said. They "are neither a political bargaining chip nor a thing for economic dealings to be presented to the place of dialogue or be put on the table of negotiations aimed at forcing (Pyongyang) to disarm itself," it said.
North Korea's "nuclear armed forces represent the nation's life, which can never be abandoned as long as the imperialists and nuclear threats exist on earth," the statement said.North Korea has called the U.S. nuclear arsenal a threat to its existence since the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula still technically at war. Pyongyang justifies its own nuclear pursuit in large part on that perceived U.S. threat.While analysts call North Korea's threats largely brinkmanship, there is some fear that a localized skirmish might escalate. Seoul has vowed to respond harshly should North Korea provoke its military. Naval skirmishes in disputed Yellow Sea waters off the Korean coast have led to bloody battles several times over the years. Attacks blamed on Pyongyang in 2010 killed 50 South Koreans.The plenary statement also called for strengthening the moribund economy, which Kim has put an emphasis on in his public statements since taking power after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in late 2011. The United Nations says two-thirds of the country's 24 million people face regular food shortages.The statement called for diversified foreign trade and investment, and a focus on agriculture, light industry and a "self-reliant nuclear power industry," including a light water reactor. There was also a call for "the development of space science and technology," including more satellite launches. North Korea put a satellite into orbit on a long-range rocket in December. The United Nations called the launch a cover for a banned test of ballistic missile technology and increased sanctions on the North.The central committee is a top decision-making body of the North's ruling Workers' Party. The committee is tasked with organizing and guiding the party's major projects, and its plenary meeting is usually convened once a year, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry. South Korean media said the last plenary session was held in 2010 and that this was the first time Kim Jong Un had presided over the meeting.The White House says the United States is taking North Korea's threats seriously, but has also noted Pyongyang's history of "bellicose rhetoric."On Thursday, U.S. military officials revealed that two B-2 stealth bombers dropped dummy munitions on an uninhabited South Korean island as part of annual defense drills that Pyongyang sees as rehearsals for invasion. Hours later, Kim ordered his generals to put rockets on standby and threatened to strike American targets if provoked.
___Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim contributed to this report. Follow Foster Klug at www.twitter.com/APKlug.
