Pope in plea to end nuclear crises

Pope Benedict XVI, in his first Easter message as pontiff, today urged the use of diplomacy to defuse nuclear crises in a clear reference to worries over Iran, and prayed that Palestinians would have their own state alongside that of Israel.

On Christianity’s most joyous day, which coincided with Benedict’s 79th birthday, the pontiff also prayed that violence would cease in Iraq as he painted a bleak picture in much of the world.

From the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, Benedict reflected on the globe’s hot spots shortly after he celebrated Easter Mass in St Peter’s Square, which was packed with some 100,000 pilgrims and tourists on a breezy, hazy day.

At Easter, Christians celebrate a core belief of their faith – that Jesus rose from the dead following his crucifixion.

Pilgrims marking Easter also filled the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City. The alleys were more crowded than in recent years, reflecting a drop in Palestinian-Israeli violence which had discouraged tourism.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, who is the leading Roman Catholic official in the Holy Land, celebrated Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the spot where many Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross.

Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter on April 23.

“Today, even in this modern age marked by anxiety and uncertainty, we relive the event of the resurrection, which changed the face of our life and changed the history of humanity,” Benedict said in the traditional papal “Urbi et Orbi” message – Latin for “to the city and to the world.”

Elsewhere in his message, Benedict made what was widely seen as a clear reference to recent developments in Iran which raised concerns across the world that Tehran might be working toward a nuclear arsenal.

“Concerning the international crises linked to nuclear power, may an honourable solution be found for all parties, through serious and honest negotiations,” Benedict said, although he did not name any countries.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently said his country had successfully enriched uranium using 164 centrifuges, a significant step toward large-scale production of material that could be used to fuel nuclear reactors for generating electricity or to build atomic bombs.

Iran insists it only wants the peaceful use of nuclear power, but Western nations suspect Tehran wants to develop weapons and are demanding a halt to enrichment activities.

Concern over North Korea’s nuclear capabilities have also contributed to tensions in Asia.

Benedict was interrupted by applause when he said of Iraq: ”may peace finally prevail over the tragic violence that continues mercilessly to claim victims.”

“I also pray sincerely that those caught up in the conflict in the Holy Land may find peace, and I invite all to patient and persevering dialogue, so as to remove both ancient and new obstacles,” the pontiff said.

There has been heavy pressure from abroad on the Hamas-led Palestinian government, which was elected in January, to renounce violence and recognise Israel’s right to exist.

“May the international community, which reaffirms Israel’s just right to exist in peace, assist the Palestinian people to overcome the precarious conditions in which they live and to build their future, moving toward the constitution of a state which is truly their own,” Benedict said.

The pope lamented that the humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s Darfur region was “no longer sustainable.”

He denounced the “deplorable scourge of kidnappings” in Latin America, where, he said, millions of people should have better living conditions and democratic institutions need to be “consolidated in a spirit of harmony.”

As Mass began, a brisk breeze ruffled the pope’s gold-coloured vestments and the crimson feathers atop the helmets of Swiss Guards as he strode up the centre to the square to take his place at a canopied altar on the steps of St Peter’s Basilica.

Among the prayers read by faithful during the Mass was a wish, in French, that the pope receive a birthday gift of ”serene” days.

The pope offered holiday wishes in 62 languages, and gave his blessing.

Benedict’s predecessor, John Paul II, died six days after Easter last year, and was so weak that he was unable to address faithful in the square, only raising his hand in blessing.

Benedict looked tired during Sunday’s Mass. He had had only a few hours to rest after leading a long Easter vigil ceremony on Saturday night in St Peter’s Basilica which lasted into early today.

After stamina-testing Holy Week ceremonies, Benedict has time to rest in the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, a hill town near Rome, where he planned to give pilgrims and tourists his blessing tomorrow at the start of a brief holiday.