Archbishop of Canterbury calls for peace in first Easter sermon

Dame Sarah Mullally has used her first Easter Day sermon as Archbishop of Canterbury to renew calls for peace within the Middle East. 

She said that “violence, division and insecurity are affecting the lives of billions of individuals all over the world” and that “many feel that their heart is in pieces”.

“The bereft, the wounded, the refugee. This week our gaze and our prayers have been turned towards the land where Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead,” she said.

“Today, as we shout with joy that Christ is risen, allow us to pray and call with renewed urgency for an end to the violence and destruction within the Middle East and the Gulf.

“May our Christian sisters and brothers know and have a good time the hope of the empty tomb – and should all people of the region receive the peace, justice and freedom they long for.” 

Dame Sarah drew parallels between the darkness that surrounded the Resurrection before the dawn broke, and the truth of darkness in life, but reminded those that before the stone was even rolled away “the work of God was already unfolding in the dead of night”.

“God’s most essential work of resurrection happens within the depths of the earth, while the world is silent and still dark,” she said.

“It sometimes seems like society conditions us to be impatient with the dark. We are taught to equate the sunshine with progress and positivity, and the darkness as an area of absence or a delay to be overcome.

“Yet, for me darkness can be a spot for the movement of the Spirit, knowing Jesus is with me.” 

In his Easter Urbi et Orbi, Pope Leo appealed to world leaders to decide on “to not dominate others, but to come across them”, and said he can be leading a prayer vigil for peace on 11 April in Saint Peter’s Basilica. 

“Let those that have weapons lay them down,” he said, as he warned that the world was “growing accustomed to violence” and that there was the danger of an “ever-increasing ‘globalisation of indifference’”.

“We cannot proceed to be indifferent,” he told tens of hundreds of pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square. “We cannot resign ourselves to evil!”

In his Easter message, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to churches and Christian communities that “quietly and tirelessly support families, children and neighbours – offering comfort, bringing people together, and standing alongside those that need it most”.

“It is precisely that spirit of service which exemplifies national renewal, and reflects the very heart of Christ’s example,” said Starmer, who’s an atheist. 

“This Easter comes at a time of real anxiety for many individuals. Conflicts abroad, pressures at home, and uncertainty in regards to the future weigh heavily on families and households,” he said.

“In moments like these, faith offers reassurance and grounding – a reminder that we usually are not alone, and that hope can still take root even in difficult soil.” 

He said the federal government was keen to partner with churches to strengthen local communities and “construct a rustic that’s more resilient, inclusive and connected”. 

“Our country is at its best when we elect community over division, kindness over indifference, and repair over self‑interest,” he said.

“I thank everyone who gives their time through churches and Christian charities, and need Christians across the UK and all over the world a really blissful Easter crammed with peace, hope and the promise of latest life.”