Pope urges Catholics to focus on meaning of Jesus' resurrection

Published: 2008-03-26

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While Jesus' death shows the depths of his love for humanity, it is his resurrection that proves he is the Son of God, Pope Benedict XVI said. The pope used his March 26 weekly general audience to underline the importance of celebrating the 50-day Easter season. The pope came to the Vatican by helicopter from Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, and returned to the papal villa by helicopter after the audience. St. Peter's Square was still decorated with some of the tulips, daffodils, pansies and blossoming trees that were set up for the pope's March 23 Easter morning Mass. An estimated 30,000 people attended the audience. The pope told the crowd, "Death was not sufficient to demonstrate that Jesus was really the Son of God, the expected Messiah." Hundreds of people over the course of history have dedicated their lives to doing good and to bringing justice, the pope said. But "they died and remained dead," he said.

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