Today is marked globally as Easter Sunday. It is a day set aside to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death.
Easter, the season in which Christians mark the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, represents the triumph of good over evil; and life over death. It is also a time to show love, forgiveness, compassion and renewed hope in the Grace of God.
In most countries in Europe, Easter is derived from the Jewish festival of Passover.
“In Greece, the feast is called Pascha, in Italian Pasqua, in Danish it is Paaske, and in French it is Paques,” Professor Cusack said.
But in English-speaking countries, and in Germany, Easter takes its name from a pagan goddess from Anglo-Saxon England who was described in a book by the eighth-century English monk Bede.
“Eostre was a goddess of spring or renewal and that’s why her feast is attached to the vernal equinox,” Professor Cusack said.
“In Germany the festival is called Ostern, and the goddess is called Ostara.”
In his message on Sunday, Pope Francis born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the 266th and current pope of the Catholic Church, called for peace in a world marked by war and conflict.
The Pope cited a need to end the “carnage” in “the beloved and long-suffering land of Syria”; urged “reconciliation” in the Middle East; and pressed for “the fruits of dialogue” to defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula. He also called attention to the “hunger, endemic conflicts and terrorism” suffered by parts of Africa.
Francis also touched on the problems in Venezuela, voicing hope that the country would “find a just, peaceful and humane way to surmount quickly the political and humanitarian crises that grip it.”
The pope said the message of the Resurrection offered hope in a world “marked by so many acts of injustice and violence.”
He added: “It bears fruits of hope and dignity where there are deprivation and exclusion, hunger and unemployment; where there are migrants and refugees, so often rejected by today’s culture of waste, and victims of the drug trade, human trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery.”
At the Mass, Francis urged Catholics not to remain paralyzed in the face of injustice, and he challenged them to “break out” of their routines and to let God in.
The pope began the day with a post on Twitter: “Our faith is born on Easter morning: Jesus is alive! The experience is at the heart of the Christian message.” He then delivered the papal blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and to the World”) from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
On Saturday night, the pope celebrated an Easter Vigil service at St. Peter’s, where he baptized eight adults into the Roman Catholic faith, including a Nigerian migrant, John Ogah, called a hero in Italy for foiling a robbery.
In his message, Preisident Muhammadu Buhari said “Let us use the opportunity of this special season to deeply reflect on how every one of us can imbibe the profound teachings of Jesus Christ with renewed vigour.
“In so doing and by placing the joy, comfort and happiness of others above ours, we will make a statement that vices such as, hate speech, bigotry, corruption, banditry and terrorism have no place in our nation.
“We must do all it takes to love our neighbours and display increased spirit of tolerance and accommodation. I commend those who recognise and support our unwavering efforts to prevent the spread of conflicts in our communities; check wanton criminality and the taking of innocent lives; unite the country; and steer the ship of state to a steady path of economic growth, job creation and development.”
Buhari urged Nigerians “To work for peace and social justice in our beloved country, let there be no doubt of our resolve to firmly resist others who may want to make cheap political capital out of current national security challenges.”
On 2019 general elections, he observed “As we approach the period of campaigns, I appeal to our political actors and other stakeholders to resist any act that could mar the integrity of our electoral process. I am optimistic that with God on our side, the dark days of Nigeria’s elections being manipulated by violence and rigging by corrupt politicians and their agents are over.
“They are confined to the dustbin of history where they rightly belong. I remain committed to bequeathing a legacy of supremacy of the people’s will through the ballot box.”
Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel harped on the need for the peace, noting “As the political season dawns on us, let us play politics with a human face, let us not see and regard politics as blood sport; we have enjoyed peace in this State and my recent proscription of cult groups in the State is geared towards deepening this peace and addressing security concerns that may have occurred in one or two spots.
“There is no political office that should cause the spillage of blood; no ambition should cause us to shed the blood of our dear citizens.
“In this season of love we reach out to the communities where some misguided youths have disturbed the public peace, and tell them that we stand by them. Those who are still involved in this criminality should lay down their arms. They should know that you can run but you cannot hide. Iso Akpa Afid could not hide. We will either bring you to justice or take justice to you.
“We remain committed to fulfilling the major requirement of the Social Contract which is the protection of lives and property. We will not abdicate this sacred responsibility. We will release and deploy the appropriate sanction against those who cause the disruption of public peace. Akwa Ibom State must remain safe and secure for investment and development, and as long as I remain your Governor, this is an article of faith.”
