Jerusalem church leaders issue Easter appeal for peace as war casts shadow over Holy Land

Jerusalem Church leaders have used their 2026 Easter message to talk of the “devastating” impact of war across the Holy Land and the broader Middle East, while urging Christians all over the place to carry fast to the hope of Christ’s resurrection.

Leading with the anguish of the current conflict, the church leaders said the weeks before Easter had been marked by renewed violence, death and suffering, leading to hardship and economic distress across the region.

They described a deepening sense of “darkness” over the Holy Land, as the consequences of war spread far and wide, from Jerusalem and Gaza to Lebanon and beyond.

Even so, their message insisted that despair doesn’t have the ultimate say.

Pointing to the resurrection of Christ, they said Easter proclaims that death has been overcome and that believers have “a living hope” through the risen Lord.

They said: “Thus, within the midst of those cataclysmic times, we … affirm these powerful and inspiring words to our communities and to Christians world wide as the guts of our Easter Message. For ‘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).”

They called on the faithful not only to hope, but additionally to talk out for “a direct end to the bloodshed and for justice and peace to finally prevail throughout” the conflict-ravaged region.

The appeal closely echoed recent comments made by Pope Leo XIV at Palm Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square, where he reflected on Jesus because the “King of Peace” who rejects violence fairly than endorses it.

The Pope said Christ “doesn’t take heed to the prayers of those that wage war, but rejects them,” and warned against using Jesus to justify bloodshed in his homily.

He said that, while others took up “swords and clubs”, Jesus remained “steadfast in meekness,” revealing “the gentle face of a God, who all the time rejects violence.”

Quoting the Prophet Isaiah (1:15), Pope Leo said the Lord turns away from prayers offered by those whose “hands are filled with blood.”

He also issued a direct plea to a world scarred by conflict, saying Christ still cries out from the cross on behalf of all who’re crushed by war: “God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you just are brothers and sisters!”

The recent expansion of war to Iran and Lebanon has greatly disrupted Easter within the Holy Land, with traditional events cancelled and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed.

Against this backdrop, the Jerusalem church leaders said Easter should be received as greater than a comforting tradition.

Echoing St Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, they urged Christians to bear witness to the risen Christ within the midst of grief and upheaval through prayer, endurance and hope, while continuing to hunt peace for a region torn by conflict.

“Let us exchange with one another that ancient Easter greeting that continues to echo across eternity: ‘Christ is Risen!… He is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!’” they concluded.