Dear Editor,
On April 20, the first Sunday after the first full moon of the spring equinox, the Christian world celebrated Easter, a day commemorating the resurrection of Jesus.
At Easter, we revisit how Jesus’ love for us, represented by His passion and death, redeems humanity from the guilt we incur through sinful behavior.
The Easter story challenges us to accept Jesus as one person with two natures and to consider that, even though His human nature experienced death, His divine nature gave Him the power of resurrection. These mysteries of faith seemingly persist as challenges to our understanding.
On Monday, April 21, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, died at his residence in the Vatican. Reports indicate Pope Francis died of a stroke that put him into a coma, which resulted in heart failure. He had been hospitalized for about 38 days earlier this year following a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
Born in Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor. He selected his papal name in honor of the 13th-century Italian friar, Saint Francis of Assisi, who lived a life of humble service. Pope Francis died one day after offering a final Easter Sunday blessing from Saint Peter’s Square. He was 88.
In many countries, Easter Monday is a day of celebration and reflection on the resurrection of Jesus. Here in the U.S., for many, it has become a day for rest and recreation, as exemplified by the traditional Easter egg-rolling held on the White House lawn. This year, it is a day when many clerics have suggested an element of providence exists as Pope Francis returned to the House of the Father.
His universal voice of traditional values was recently represented in an appeal for a common date for Easter, which he envisioned as a day of unity among Christians. Pope Francis displayed active love through his efforts to comfort and console. May God bless his soul.
Peter Wibell, Rutledge