In his Easter address to the wider Christian community the Archbishop of Canterbury draws on the repeated phrase from the opening of the Byzantine liturgy, “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” to offer hope where Christians are persecuted today. Archbishop Justin Welby speaks specifically about the suffering of Christians across the Middle East as well as recalling the centenary of the Armenian genocide (see illustration)when so many lost their lives and homes because of their Christian faith. This Easter, he suggests, we are called to follow the saints and martyrs in Christian hope.
Archbishop Justin concludes his message saying, “Christ’s resurrection, therefore, also compels us to ever closer bonds of Christian fellowship with one another – the saints here and now – to seek greater unity and work together with Christ in his Body, in the newness of life already begun in Him.”
The full text of the message is available here.
