Heads of Churches in Jerusalem call for peace in Paschal Message
The Patriarch of Jerusalem and other religious leaders of the Holy Land have sent words of encouragement to the faithful and called for an end to bloodshed before Pascha.
On Thursday, 26th March 2026, the meeting of the Heads of the Churches of Jerusalem took place at the Patriarchate under the auspices of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem. During this meeting, the common Paschal Message of the Patriarch and the Heads of the Churches addressed to their flocks was discussed, reviewed, and approved. This is reported by the jerusalem-patriarchate website.
In the text of the message, special emphasis is placed on the ongoing war in the region. The Heads of the Churches note that the Middle East has once again found itself in a state of severe crisis: "A deep darkness has engulfed our region... Hope itself appears to have abandoned us."
At the same time, the document emphasizes Christian hope based on the Resurrection of Christ: "Death ded not have the final word. By the power of God, Christ rose victorious from the grave, bursting the bonds of sin and death."
"In the midst of these cataclysmic times, We, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, affirm these powerful and encouraging words to our communities and to Christians around the world as the heart 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' (Rom. 6:4).
In keeping with this profound truth, we bid the faithful and all those of goodwill to work and pray ceaselessly for the relief of the countless multitudes throught the Middle East and beyond," the religious leaders appealed.
Special attention is given to the need to end the war. The message contains an appeal to the international community: to achieve "an immediate cessation of bloodshed and the establishment of justice and peace" in Jerusalem, Gaza, Lebanon, and throughout the region.
Concluding the address, the Heads of Churches recalled the words of the Apostle Paul: "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 Cor. 4:8-10).
The message ends with the traditional Christian greeting: "Christ is Risen! - He is Risen, indeed!"
As the UOJ reported the Churches of Jerusalem appealed to Netanyahu regarding Easter services.
