Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi, Bishop Emeritus of San Cristóbal de Las Casas and responsible for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM), offers Exaudi readers his weekly article.

FACTS

After Jesus’ death and burial, his apostles and disciples were not only sad, but disappointed, fearful, confined, defeated, and without hope. With the certainty of his resurrection, everything changed in their lives. Today we are also saddened by the death of Pope Francis, with whom I had several opportunities to share; but, with faith in the Risen Christ, we are certain that he is already rejoicing in heaven with God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with the Virgin Mary, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and other saints.

He was a Pope centered on Jesus Christ and, precisely for this reason, dedicated to serving not only within the Church, but all of humanity: the poor, migrants, prisoners, the excluded, climate change, universal brotherhood, women, wars, etc. He promoted a Church close to the people and in solidarity with the sufferings of humanity, in the style of Jesus. Likewise, he leaves us several legacies. In subsequent articles, I will develop some of them; now I want to highlight what most strikes me in his final messages, on the occasion of the Easter Feast of the Resurrection, which are, as it were, the main reason for his life and his service as the head of the Church, and as his testament.

LIGHTING

In the homily he prepared for the recent Easter Vigil, perhaps already sensing his death, he told us: “The light of the Resurrection illuminates the path step by step, breaks into the darkness of history without noise, shines discreetly in our hearts. And to this light corresponds a humble faith, devoid of all triumphalism… Christ has conquered sin and destroyed death, but in our earthly history, the power of his Resurrection is still being realized. And that realization, like a small sprout of light, has been entrusted to us, so that we may care for it and make it grow. This is the call we must feel strongly within us: let us make the hope of Easter germinate in our lives and in the world!

When we still feel the weight of death in our hearts, let us not be discouraged, let us return to tonight’s proclamation: the light shines, because Christ has conquered death. This proclamation, which It broadens our hearts and fills us with hope. In the Risen Jesus, we have the certainty that our personal history and the journey of humanity, although still immersed in a darkness where the lights seem dim, are in the hands of God; and He, in His great love, will not let us falter or allow evil to have the last word. At the same time, this hope, already fulfilled in Christ, remains a goal for us to achieve; it has been entrusted to us so that we may become credible witnesses to it and so that the Kingdom of God may make its way into the hearts of today’s women and men. Let us make room for the light of the Risen Lord! And we will become builders of hope for the world (April 19, 2025).

In his homily for this Easter Sunday, he expressed: We cannot park our hearts in the illusions of this world, nor lock them away in sadness; we must run, full of joy. Let us run to meet Jesus, let us rediscover the inestimable grace of being his friends. Let us allow his Word of life and truth to illuminate our path. The risen Christ opens our lives to hope. He is alive; he wants to renew our lives today, too. To him, conqueror of sin and death, we want to say: with you, Lord, all is new. With you, everything begins anew (20 April 2025).

In his Easter Message last Sunday, he emphasized: Love has conquered hatred. Light has conquered darkness. Truth has conquered lies. Forgiveness has conquered revenge. Evil has not disappeared from our history; it will remain until the end, but it no longer holds sway, it no longer has power over those who accept the grace of this day.

Sisters and brothers, especially you who are suffering pain and anguish, your silent cries have been heard, your tears have been collected, not a single one has been lost! In the Passion and death of Jesus, God took upon himself all the evil of the world and, with his infinite mercy, defeated it; he has eliminated the diabolical pride that poisons the human heart and sows violence and corruption everywhere. The Lamb of God has conquered! That is why today we exclaim: “Christ, my hope, is risen!”

Yes, the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of hope; from this event on, hope is no longer an illusion. No; thanks to Christ crucified and risen, hope does not disappoint. And it is not an elusive hope, but a committed one; it is not alienating, but rather one that empowers us.

Those who hope in God place their fragile hands in His great and strong hand, allow themselves to be lifted, and begin to walk; together with the risen Jesus, they become pilgrims of hope, witnesses to the victory of Love, to the unarmed power of Life.

Christ is risen! This proclamation contains the entire meaning of our existence, which is not made for death but for life. Easter is the feast of life! God created us for life and wants humanity to rise again!

How much desire for death we see every day in the numerous conflicts that affect different parts of the world. How much violence we often perceive, even in families, against women or children. How much contempt is sometimes shown toward the weakest, the marginalized, and migrants.

In the Lord’s Easter, death and life have clashed in a prodigious duel, but the Lord lives forever and instills in us the certainty that we too are called to share in the life that knows no end, where the thunder of weapons and the echoes of death will no longer be heard. Let us entrust ourselves to Him, for only He can make all things new” (April 20, 2025).

ACTIONS

Let us continue to pray for the eternal rest of Pope Francis, but let us also allow ourselves to be inspired by his great faith in the Risen Christ. Let us not be fooled by so many opinions about who and what the next Pope should be like. The Church does not end with the death of a Pope; let us have faith and trust in the Holy Spirit, who guides and strengthens us. With Christ, we have another perspective: He is with us and does not abandon us; Let us trust in Him. With the Risen Christ, we move forward.