The Holy See Mission Wishes
you a Blessed Triduum

Message from Archbishop Auza

As Christians everywhere prepare prayerfully to enter into the events of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, we do so conscious that Jesus’ triumph is the most powerful message of hope in all of history.

In Jesus’ resurrection after having been publicly framed and executed, we see that evil doesn’t have the last word. Suffering doesn’t have the last word. Death doesn’t even have the last word. Christians believe that if God on Easter Sunday brought the greatest good out of the evil that occurred on Good Friday, then he can indeed bring good out of every evil. And that provides hope even in the midst of times in which there remains great evil, enormous suffering across the globe and the death of so many innocents.

It’s tempting as we confront the various nightmares of human suffering occurring in the world — human trafficking, the killing of the innocent, the negligence of so many to the cries of the poor, the corruption of many in leadership positions — for us naively to hope that this evil will just all disappear like waking up from a bad dream. But that wasn’t the way Jesus approached the evil of his day. As we will mark during these days, he became a victim of that evil. But that wasn’t the end of the story. He rose on the third day with his mortal wounds immortally transfigured, overcoming hatred with love, darkness with light, death with life, bad news with what Christians believe is the greatest news of all time. This is a great mystery, which we ponder more profoundly in these days. And it’s an extraordinary cause of joy to be experienced and shared.

Pope Francis, in his 2017 Urbi et Orbi (“To the City and the World”) Easter Address to the throngs in St. Peter’s Square, spoke of the transformative impact of Easter and the hope that that should give us all for the triumph of good over evil and peace over division.

“The Risen Shepherd,” he said, “goes in search of all those lost in the labyrinths of loneliness and marginalization. He comes to meet them through our brothers and sisters who treat them with respect and kindness, and help them to hear his voice, an unforgettable voice, a voice calling them back to friendship with God. He takes upon himself all those victimized by old and new forms of slavery, inhuman labor, illegal trafficking, exploitation and discrimination, and grave forms of addiction. He takes upon himself children and adolescents deprived of their carefree innocence and exploited, and those deeply hurt by acts of violence that take place within the walls of their own home. The Risen Shepherd walks beside all those forced to leave their homelands as a result of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, famine and oppressive regimes. Everywhere he helps these forced migrants to encounter brothers and sisters, with whom they can share bread and hope on their journey. In the complex and often dramatic situations of today’s world, may the Risen Lord guide the steps of all those who work for justice and peace. … May Jesus, who vanquished the darkness of sin and death, grant peace to our days.”

Please know of my prayers and the prayers of our team at the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the UN for you and your loved ones during these days. Please join us in praying for all of those who will be celebrating these days in the midst of war, suffering and hardship across the world. And please don’t forget to pray for Pope Francis and for us, as we continue to strive to bring the reasons for our hope to all the nations.

 Sincerely yours,
+Archbishop Bernardito Auza

Statements

Measures to Enhance the Promotion and Protection
of the Human Rights of Older Persons
Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing

On April 15, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Tenth Working Session of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing, on Item 5 dedicated to “Measures to enhance the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons.”  

In his statement, Archbishop Auza said we must end the exclusion of older persons by advancing their human rights and acknowledging their contributions. He praised the attention being given to their education, training and life-long learning as well as to their social protection and social security, especially in a context in which their protection and security are denied by some who consider them burdens, unproductive, and useless members of society. This is seen, he underlined, in particular in the sinister practices of euthanasia and assisted suicide, both of which the Holy See strongly condemns. Rather than working for a new convention on the rights of the elderly, he said, the most effective way to protect them would be to ensure and promote the rights already enshrined in international law, particularly in the vulnerable moments of illness and frailty.

The statement can be found here.

Holy See Mission in the News

On April 14, Crux and ACI Stampa published articles featuring the Path to Peace Foundation, which supports the Holy See Mission to the UN, noting the foundation will be honoring Aid to the Church in Need at the Annual Path to Peace Gala on May 22.

The Crux article can be found here. The ACI Stampa article, published in Italian, can be found here. Those interested in attending 2019 Path to Peace Gala can register here.