VATICAN CITY (CNS): Easter morning dawned bright and sunny at the Vatican, highlighting the thousands of flowers, trees and bushes donated by flower growers in the Netherlands.
 
Before delivering his Urbi et Orbi (To the city and the world) blessing on April 1, Pope Francis prayed made special mention of the ongoing carnage in Syria as well as the recent violence which saw 15 Palestinians killed during protests along Gaza’s border with Israel on March 30.
 

ROME (SE): “Today, throughout the world, the Church echoes once more the astonishing message of the first disciples, ‘Jesus is risen! He is truly risen, as he said!’” Pope Francis proclaimed in introducing his traditional To the City of Rome and the World (Urbi et Orbi) greeting of Easter Sunday on April 16.

ROME (SE): In sending his Christmas greeting to the people of The City of Rome and the World (Ubi et Orbi) at his midday audience on December 25, Pope Francis described the wonder of the occasion as being the power of the child born of God and Our Lady, not with the power of this world, based on might and wealth, but with the power of love.

VATICAN (SE): “Let us open our hearts to receive the grace of this day, which is Christ himself,” Pope Francis said in the traditional Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World) papal Christmas blessing, delivered from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome at midday on Christmas Day.

ROME (SE): Pope Benedict XVI made a special plea for religious freedom in China during his traditional Urbi et Orbi (to the People of Rome and the World) Christmas greeting on December 25.

“May the King of Peace turn his gaze to the new leaders of the People’s Republic of China for the high task which awaits them,” Pope Benedict said.