wfn.org | Jerusalem Patriarchs' Easter Message 1996

[GEORGE_CONKLIN.parti@ecunet.org]

To: wfn-editors@wfn.org

Following is the full text of the EASTER MESSAGE 1996 distributed by the
Patriarchs and Heads of Christian Churches in Jerusalem.

Dear brothers and sisters,

1.   "Christ is risen!" (Lk 24:1-52).  Jesus, Lord and Saviour is risen, as
he has foretold his apostles: ""They will put him to death, and on the
third day he will rise again" (Mt 17:23).  After the sufferings and the
death of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we announce to you the glory of his
Resurrection, with the hope and the strength which emanate from it.  Before
he, himself, took the cross, Jesus called his disciples to bear the cross
and to follow Him.  He called his disciples to walk the narrow way which is
the way to salvation.

2.   This double vision of the cross and the resurrection applies
to the situation which we are now experiencing: our sufferings are many, 
due to renewed times of violence and reprisals.  As we sympathize with 
the families of the victims of extremism, we feel the pain of every home 
and every family deprived from jobs, exposed to painful daily life, due 
to the closure imposed as a reprisal.  Even in this sequence of struggle 
between extremism and government and the peace process, and suffering 
which results from this struggle in our daily life, we see the way of the 
cross which will lead finally to the glory of the resurrection, when 
peace will prevail through hearts reconciliation.

We understand that fighting extremism is not an easy task.  We understand
the responsibility of the governments to protect the innocent people from
all extremism.  But we understand, also, that in this task our governments
should never indulge in the same logic of violence which it condemns itself
as extremism.  We ask them to find security measures which protect all,
Palestinians and Israelis, without discrimination; in fact it is obvious
that the present security measures are punishing only Palestinians.
Moreover, some measures which implicate violence were imposed long before
the last terrorist attacks and are still exercised as the confiscation of
lands and the closure of Jerusalem.

Palestinians and Israelis alike ask for peace.  But as the
Prophet says: "They say, peace, peace, whereas there is no peace" (Jer
6:14).

3.   We celebrate in these days the paschal festivities.  The
experience of Easter and of Pesach is one of liberation and 
reconciliation.  We invite our Authorities to live the experience of 
liberation and Resurrection, which means the triumph of life over death, 
of peace over violence.  We invite them, in the light of Pesach and 
Easter, to have a new look at the human beings, at the security measures, 
at the confiscation of lands and at all kinds of decisions, so that every 
action will support peace and oppose violence.

Looking at the One God who manifested his power over servitude
and over death, something new should appear in the hearts and in the 
actions of those leaders who have so far manifested their good will to 
build a new society.

4.   We live in historical moments and in a difficult birth of a
new era for Jerusalem, for Palestinians and for the entire region.  We 
ask our faithful and all believers to share in making peace and to stand 
against all forms of violence, with their prayers, and with renewed and 
constructive hope and strength, through their faith in the Risen Lord.

5.   We address our appeal to the Palestinian People, Christians and
Muslims, and invite them to allow peace to be born and to cease all 
violence.  We address the same appeal also to the Jewish people.  
Palestinians are your peace partners, your brothers for building a new 
Israeli and Palestinian society.  They are no more enemies to be sacrificed
for any manifestation of violence, for public opinion, or for an electoral
campaign.  "Do not oppress the weak", says the Lord (Amos 4.1).

6.  We call again for an encounter and dialogue between the religious
leaders of all faiths in this land, in order to plan how to reeducate our
peoples according to the principles of mutual recognition, understanding,
equality and brotherhood.  Each one should no longer see in the other an
enemy but a brother and a sister with whom to build a new society and the
new era in the region.  This dialogue is necessary in order to support the
peace process and make it possible.

7.   We appeal to our Authorities to open the doors of the Holy
City of Jerusalem, as we call upon our faithful to come and share with us 
the spiritual and enriching experience of the Holy Week and Easter in 
Jerusalem.

Our message for all is a message of hope, of compassion, of reconciliation
and joy.  To all our priests and faithful, we say:  In this blessed Easter
time be of one heart, one voice before the Lord, so that all of us "may
come to know him and the powere of his resurrection" (Phil 3:10), in a true
and definitive peace.

Jerusalem, Easter 1996

+ Diodoros I, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem
+ Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
+ Torkom Manooghian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem
  Fr. Giuseppe Nazzaro, ofm, Custos of the Holy Land
+ Anba Abraham, Coptic Orthodox Bishop of Jerusalem
  P. Shim'on Jan, for the Syrian Orthodox Church
+ Abba Matheos, Ethiopian Archbishop of Jerusalem
+ Samir Kafity, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem
+ Lutfi Lahham, Greek Catholic Patriarchal Vicar
+ Naim Nassar, Lutheran Bishop in Jerusalem
+ Andre Bedoglouian, Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Vicar
  Msgr. Boutros Abdel Ahad, Syrian Catholic Patriarchal Vicar