THE coincidence of Easter Day falling this yr on the identical date within the calendars utilized by Eastern and Western Churches ought to be a spur to greater unity in a world of conflict, Easter messages issued by church leaders have said.
Meanwhile, the King’s Easter message, published on Maundy Thursday, focused on the “paradox” of humanity’s capability for “each great cruelty and great kindness”.
This paradox was evident within the Easter story, he said, in addition to the “scenes that each day come before our eyes — at one moment, terrible images of human suffering and, in one other, heroic acts in war-torn countries where humanitarians of all types risk their very own lives to guard the lives of others”.
Jesus’s life “reflected the Jewish ethic of caring for the stranger and people in need, a deep human instinct echoed in Islam and other religious traditions, and within the hearts of all who seek the nice of others.
“The abiding message of Easter is that God so loved the world — the entire world — that He sent His son to live amongst us to point out us the right way to love each other, and to put down His own life for others in a love that proved stronger than death,” he said.
The King and Queen attended the Royal Maundy Service in Durham Cathedral, where the King distributed specially-minted coins to 152 members of the general public (76 men and 76 women: signifying the age of the Monarch).
The service is held in a unique cathedral annually. The King missed last yr’s service, in Worcester Cathedral, because he was receiving treatment for cancer (News, 5 April 2024).
Also on Thursday, the Prime Minister wished Christians a completely satisfied Easter. “As churches hold special services across the UK, and gather to have fun with family and friends, we remember those Christians facing hardship, persecution or conflict around the globe who cannot have fun freely,” he said.
Sir Keir also expressed gratitude to Christians “for the ways during which you follow Christ’s example of affection and compassion in serving your communities”.
An Easter message from the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem conveyed “special greetings” to clergy within the Orthodox and RC churches in Gaza, and staff on the Anglican-run Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, which was struck by Israeli missiles last weekend (News, 17 April).
The group of church leaders, which incorporates the Archbishop in Jerusalem, Dr Hosam Naoum, also observed that this yr the Eastern and Western dates for Easter coincide, and that “providentially, this coincides with the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the primary of the good ecumenical councils”.
“We pray that this completely satisfied confluence of events may encourage our churches to increasingly strive for greater unity in Christ,” they wrote.
A bunch of 12 “world communions”, including the Anglican Communion, the World Methodist Council, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, issued a joint letter during which they described the shared date of Easter as a “great gift”.
Joint Christian witness was particularly necessary, they wrote, “right now of great political instability on the planet, when so many live with fear, suffering, persecution, famine, and other types of instability and vulnerability”.
In a Holy Week message last week, the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Revd Professor Jerry Pillay, and the Moderator of the WCC Central Committee, the Rt Revd Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, called for the Eastern and Western dates for Eastern to be aligned every yr (News, 17 April).
“It could be a profound sign of reconciliation and a tangible expression of the unity for which Christ prayed. It would also spur more common witness: speaking truth to power and fascinating in joint motion for justice, peace, and reconciliation,” they wrote.
The Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew of Constantinople, have each previously suggested that they’re open to establishing a typical date for the celebration of Easter.
The common date for Easter, and anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, was also referenced in a press release from the presidents of Church Together in England, who said that they “proclaim and dedicate this yr to the Council of Nicaea and we pledge to look to the unity of the religion, as did those elders seventeen hundred years ago”.
The UK-based Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) also issued an Easter message this week, which said that Holy Week and Passover were being held “as conflict continues in Israel and Gaza”.
The co-directors of the CCJ, Georgina Bye and Nathan Eddy, wrote: “Easter could also be a time when reflection reflection is turned especially towards the experience of Palestinian Christians living in conflict, as indeed Pesach [Passover] renews our commitment to bringing home the remaining 59 hostages which might be held captive in Gaza by Hamas.”
On Good Friday, it was reported that Hamas had rejected an Israeli ceasefire proposal to release ten of the remaining hostages, while indicating that the group was able to negotiate a deal to finish the war.
BBC News reported Hamas’ chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, as saying: “Netanyahu and his government use partial agreements as a canopy for his or her political agenda, which is predicated on continuing the war of extermination and starvation, even when the value is sacrificing all his prisoners [hostages]”.
