Office for Social Ministry
“Let the Church and the world rejoice, for today our hopes no longer come up against the wall of death, for the Lord has built us a bridge to life.” (Pope Francis’ Easter message on the Vatican’s 2025 Easter card from the Dicastery for Integral Human Development)
As we celebrate this joyful Easter season, the declaration of “Alleluia!” reminds us to rejoice in new life — a message more vital than ever in a world overwhelmed by crisis and conflict.
For many, the Lenten journey was one of deep reflection on suffering and sacrifice leading up to the passion and death of Jesus. But Easter transforms all into hope: Christ’s resurrection proclaims the victory of life over death.
This powerful theme is beautifully captured in Pope Francis’ message featured on the 2025 Easter card from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Human Integral Development. Indeed, Christ’s rising invites us to break down the walls of death that divide and instead build bridges of hope to life full of peace and joy.
This dicastery “promotes the integral development of the person in light of the Gospel and in line with the social doctrine of the church. It dedicates particular attention to taking care of the goods of justice, peace and the safeguarding of creation, as well as issues regarding disarmament, human rights, human mobility, health, charitable works, and expressing the concern and attention of the pope toward a humanity that suffers, among whom are the needy, the ill and the excluded.
“The dicastery follows issues regarding the necessities of those who are forced to abandon their own countries or those who are without one, the marginalized, the victims of armed conflicts and natural disasters, prisoners, the unemployed, victims of contemporary forms of slavery and torture, and other people whose dignity is at risk.”
This year’s Jubilee invites all of us to live as “pilgrims of hope” — a mission intentionally reflected this year across the church’s global celebrations.
For example, the Dicastery on Integral Human Development is promoting the upcoming World Day for Migrants and Refugees which embraces the theme “Migrants, Missionaries of Hope.” It also has been organizing the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation which focuses on “Seeds of Peace and Hope.”
Hope is the thread connecting these Jubilee themes, reminding us of our shared call to witness, serve and heal — especially in difficult times.
Here in Hawaii, Bishop Larry Silva focused on this global mission in his Easter message on evangelization, encouraging the faithful to “go out and share the Good News.”
That same spirit was resounded throughout the Hawaii Catholic Herald’s Easter edition, “Alleluia, He is risen!” — featuring a hope-filled mural of the Resurrection from the sanctuary of the Holy Family Church in Ramallah, on the West Bank in the war-torn Middle East.
Easter greetings in the Herald echoed this central Easter message. Together they form a tapestry of blessings steeped in the abundance of peace, hope and joy through the divine amazing grace of our risen Lord.
Here are some examples of that message in the Catholic Herald Easter ads: “May the power and the glory of the risen Lord abide in you and your loved ones, filling your hearts with joy, hope, and love today and always.” “Hau‘oli La Pakoa! Haleluia!” “The Lord Jesus stands in our midst and says: ‘Peace I leave you, my peace I give to you.’” “May this Easter season fill your heart with hope, joy, and the assurance of Christ’s victory over death.” “May the Risen Christ nourish us with His presence, fill us with His peace, and unite us in the joy of His Resurrection.” “In Him we can rest our hope — for He brings life and authors our victories.” “May the Holy Spirit of Easter fill your home with hope, love, and peace.”
May these Easter greetings nourish our faith and inspire us to live always as true missionaries of hope and peace in our families, communities and world.
To learn more about the Catholic Church’s mission of integral human development, visit www.humandevelopment.va. To see the full spread of Easter ads from Hawaii, visit www.digital.hawaiicatholicherald.com.
Mahalo, with prayers for blessings of hope and peace!
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
CRS expresses thanks for support on shared Lenten journey
As the Easter season celebrates the culmination of the paschal mystery in the joyful Resurrection, Catholic Relief Services wants to thank all for sharing in the Lenten journey and how the pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving impact not only our lives but also the lives of our sisters and brothers in our local community and around the world.
As we strive to live in true global solidarity and are nourished by the bread of life, let us share bread for life to ensure everyone has enough to eat amid this global food crisis. When we come together to tackle hunger, there is no limit to what we can achieve.
For example, on the southern fringe of the Sahara Desert, the Sahel region spans Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan and Eritrea. In the Sahel, temperatures are high and rain is uncommon. In 1976, during a long drought, crops failed, livestock was lost and a lack of food threatened the lives of millions of our sisters and brothers.
It was in that same year that Catholics from around the world participated in the 41st International Eucharistic Congress held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The theme of the Congress, “The Eucharist and the Hungers of the Human Family,” emphasized the central role of the Eucharist in addressing the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of people, particularly in the context of challenges such as hunger, poverty and social injustice.
The Eucharist, which means thanksgiving, makes visible our communion with our sisters and brothers and our shared responsibility as one human family. As Catholics, we believe no person should go hungry; however, our world is currently facing levels of hunger that experts believe could be the new normal.
That’s why it is more important than ever for us to recommit each Lent — and throughout the year — to supporting our global family experiencing these challenges. We thank you for your continued support; for more on CRS efforts worldwide, visit www.crs.org.
