Dear Luiz Inácio

I received your thoughtful letter of last March 29, with which besides thanking me for my contribution to the defence of the rights of the poorest and disadvantaged of this noble nation confided to me your state of mind and communicated your assessment about the current Brazilian socio-political context, which will be of great use to me.



As I pointed out in the message for the 52nd World Day of Peace, celebrated 1 January, political responsibility is a permanent challenge for all those who are elected to serve their country, to protect the people who live there and work to create the conditions for a just a dignified future. Just like my predecessors, I am convinced that politics can become an eminent form of charity if it is implemented with a fundamental respect for people’s life, freedom and dignity.



In these days we are celebrating the Lord’s Resurrection. The triumph of Jesus Christ over death is mankind’s hope. His Passover, his passage from death do life is also our Passover: thanks to him we can go from darkness to light, from the slavery of this world to the freedom of the promised land, of the sin that separate us from God and from our brothers to the friendship that unites us to Him, from disbelieve and despair to the serene and profound joy of those who believe that in the end good will overcome evil, truth will overcome lie and salvation will overcome condemnation.



Bearing in mind the hardship that you have experienced lately, especially the loss of some loved ones – your wife Marisa Letícia, your brother Genival Inácio and more recently your grandson Arthur who was only 7 years old -, I wish to express my spiritual proximity and encourage you not to be discouraged and to continue to trust God. As I assure you of my prayer so that, in this paschal time of joy, the light of the resurrected Christ can fill you with hope, I ask you to keep praying for me.



May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin protects you.



Fraternally,

Francisco

Vatican, 3 May 2019