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Alleluia! Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed. Alleluia!
We, the Heads of Churches of the Holy City of Jerusalem bring you our
greetings and our joy in the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
Christians find their joy is secure in the hope of the promise of eternal
life which our Lord has won for all who believe. However, when we in
Jerusalem, the city of redemption, see the suffering of our Christian
brothers and sisters in Egypt, Iraq and elsewhere in our region our joy
becomes more solemn. We find sadness competes with the joy of Easter as we
witness the violence which has erupted in the face of peaceful
demonstrations by people throughout the Arab world these past months.
We Christians are watching in prayer the developments in the Middle East. We
also pray that the reforms would lead to modern civil society where freedom
of expression, freedom of religion, human rights - including the rights of
those who are considered being a minority in numbers - are respected. We
call upon all people of faith and good will to pursue peace while at the
same time we recognize that peace cannot be bought at the price of silence
and submission to corruption and injustice.
The violence, when it erupts, reminds us that the cross of Christ is ever
present for the faithful followers of the Prince of Peace. The crucifixion
is an ongoing reality for many of our clergy and people who continue to seek
to live with mutual understanding and co-operation with their neighbors.
We urge all Christians to pray for reconciliation among people in the Holy
Land, where the deteriorating situation makes peace and justice seem further
away than ever before. We ask the Churches around the world to stand with us
in giving voice to those who are silenced, in breaking down walls that
separate us from one another and in building bridges of goodwill between
people.
We pray for the leaders of the nations, and for those who demonstrate for
change, to use wisdom and their best judgment to serve the needs of their
people and to promote peaceful solutions to change for a better future for
all of God's children. Our Lord died for the sins of the whole world that
all people will see in his example how violence only leads to death and
destruction. In his resurrection we experience his victory over violence and
death and we embrace a vision of the future in which all people live
together in harmony.
This vision gives us hope to renew our faith in the face of despair.
Christians all over the world celebrate the victory over death which is ours
as a gift from God who has compassion and mercy for all of his creation. We
share our joy in the resurrection with you. The cross is ever before us day
by day and the cross is empty. New life has come. Christ is risen. We are
risen. Alleluia. Thanks be to God.
+Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch
+Patriarch Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch
+Patriarch Torkom II Manoogian, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarch
+Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, ofm, Custos of the Holy Land
+Archbishop Anba Abraham, Coptic Orthodox Patriarch, Jerusalem
+Archbishop Swerios Malki Murad, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch
+Archbishop Joseph-Jules Zerey, Greek-Melkite-Catholic Patriarch
+Archbishop Abouna Matthias, Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch
+Archbishop Paul Sayyah, Maronite Patriarchal Exarch
+Bishop Suheil Dawani, Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East
+Bishop Munib Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy
Land
+Bishop Pierre Malki, Syrian Catholic Patriarchal Exarch
+Fr. Rafael Minassian, Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarch
(Easter 2011)
See Also:
The
Easter Message of H.H. Pope Shenouda III
The resurrection of the Lord Christ was distinguished
with an amazing power. He is the only One who was
victorious over death by Himself. In His resurrection,
He crushed death, and arose with the power of His
Divinity.
Armenian Primate's Easter Message
Let us renew our lives with the Glorious and Victorious
Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This
is the challenging message of the Feast of the Holy
Resurrection. The Blessed Resurrection calls on us all
to renounce our old-self and instill within us a new
beginning: to live a Christ-like life.
Paschal
Encyclical of HE Metropolitan Nektarios
Christian Pascha, the Resurrection of Christ, has a particular importance for
all people, and this is why it is the central message of the church and a cause
for joy and celebration.
Patriarch Bartholomew: 2011 Patriarchal Proclamation for
Pascha
The Resurrection of Christ is indeed real and grants to
faithful Christians the certainty - and to all humanity
the possibility - of transcending the adverse
consequences of natural calamity and spiritual
perversity.
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