By Matters India Reporter
Jerusalem, April 2, 2026: Christian leaders in the Holy Land have called for hope in the resurrection and not desolation against the darkness that has overcome their region, issuing a powerful Easter message as war continues to devastate the Middle East.
In the weeks leading up to this year’s commemoration of Christ’s death and resurrection, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem said a “new and devastating regional war has once again plunged the Holy Land and the wider Middle East into turmoil.”
They described “a relentless cycle of death, destruction, and frightful suffering” that has spread beyond the region, fueling global economic hardship.
The leaders acknowledged the despair gripping communities, writing that “hope itself appears to have abandoned us.” Yet they emphasized that the tomb was not the end of the story.
“Death did not have the final word,” they declared, citing the Apostle Paul: “In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Their Easter message urged Christians worldwide to embrace faith in the Risen Lord, who grants “a new birth into a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3).
They reminded the faithful that “just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4b).
The statement sought to remind Christians that faith must inspire both prayer and action for peace.
Hence, Christian church leaders appealed for urgent action to relieve suffering across the Middle East, calling on believers and people of goodwill “to advocate and intercede for an immediate end to the bloodshed and for justice and peace to finally prevail throughout our war-torn region.”
The leaders specifically named Jerusalem, Gaza, Lebanon, the Gulf States, and Tehran as places in need of peace.
Quoting St. Paul’s words of perseverance, they wrote: “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8–10).
The message concluded with the traditional Easter proclamation, echoing across languages and cultures: “Christ is Risen! (Al Maseeh Qam! Christos Anesti! Christos haryav i merelotz! Pekhrestos aftonf! Christ est Ressuscité! Cristo è risorto! Christus resurrexit! Meshiha qam! Christos t’ensah em’ muhtan! Christus ist auferstanden!) He is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!”
There are 13 official denominations of Christianity in the Holy Land. Three Patriarchs reside in Jerusalem — Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Armenian. In addition, there are 10 other Archbishops and Bishops, five Catholic: (Melkite, Maronite, Syrian, Armenian, and Chaldean); three Orthodox: (Coptic, Syrian, and Ethiopian) and two Protestant: (Anglican and Lutheran).