Apr 20, 2011 / 22:50 pm
Patriarchs and other heads of churches in Jerusalem have published a joint Easter message announcing their “joy” over the holy day. At the same time, they remembered those suffering from violence in the Holy Land and called for prayers for peace.
“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,” they said. “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.”
Violence reminds Christians 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 Christians who “continue to seek to live with mutual understanding and co-operation with their neighbors.”
“Christians find their joy is secure in the hope of the promise of eternal life which our Lord has won for all who believe,” the churchmen explained. “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.”