The final words at Mass -- "Go in peace" -- are an invitation to Christians to proclaim God's blessings through their lives, not an opportunity to go outside and speak ill of others.

Ross Douthat is a New York Times columnist specializing in religion and politics and author of To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism.

“For Christians, nonviolence is not merely tactical behavior but a person’s way of being.”

Charity is lacking in the dialogue of our polarized church. But this doesn’t mean something is wrong with dialogue itself.

Francis delivered his sixth Easter message as bishop of Rome and leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics from the central balcony of St Peter’s.

"Do we want to share in this message of life," he asked in his homily, "or do we prefer simply to continue standing speechless before events as they happen?"