ARMENIAN NEWS... AT... EASTER CELEBRATIONS FOR ARMENIANS
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
April 5 2015
Armenians all over the world celebrate Easter
5 April 2015 - 12:08pm
Today, the parishioners of the Armenian Apostolic Church all over the
world are celebrating the glorious feast of the resurrection of Christ
- Easter.
The Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II,
addressed believers with congratulations. "The pace of our nation at a
crossroads of history was often the likeness of Christ. We often went
to the Golgotha of suffering, were crucified with the Lord and raised
with a faith in His Resurrection. By the grace of God our people
overcame machinations and destructions, persecution and slaughter and
kept bright hope for our revival, our prosperous and bright life," the
Armenian Patriarch said in congratulations.
He also stressed that "to the world, to all of humanity, with their
martyrdom and their resurrected life, our people testified the truth
of the miracle of the resurrection. They were crucified, were
exhausted with grief, but did not become desperate, were wounded, but
not weak, scattered throughout the world, but did not lose the
Motherland. With love for the lost homeland, our people, restored
statehood in the eastern part of historical Armenia, and began a new
life in Diaspora communities, confirming that the tree of our life,
growing on the unshakable pillar of faith, with life-giving power
gives birth to children who beautify the nation."
"Today, human life is shaken by conflicts and bloodshed. The desired
peace and universal goodwill and solidarity in the cradle of humanity
remains an unfulfilled dream on planet Earth. Humanity is in debt, it
must wipe profusely pouring tears in the world, before the helpless
eyes, cries and screams of orphans and disadvantaged children who
dream of a bright childhood, to silence the rumblings of lethal
weapons, eradicate poverty. We must overcome the crucifixion in the
world and replaced it with resurrection," Karekin II noted.
Easter Message of His Holiness Karekin II
05 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II
SUPREME PATRIARCH AND CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS
ON THE OCCASION OF THE GLORIOUS RESURRECTION
OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, April 5, 2015
In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
"Today angels descended from heaven
to give glad tidings to mankind:
"He who was crucified is risen,
and gave resurrection to you along with Him"."
Armenian Church Hymnal
Our Dear Faithful Sons and Daughters in the Homeland and the Diaspora,
The joy of the glorious resurrection of Christ once again soars in our
souls. We rejoice like the oil-bearing women, who found the tomb of
the Savior empty, and heard the good news of His Resurrection from the
angels. We rejoice like the apostles gathered together in the Upper
Room and the travelers on the road to Emmaus, to whom the Risen Lord
appeared and dispersed their doubts and grief. The darkened skies are
now illuminated with the rays of light of the resurrection; the sorrow
and sadness of the crucifixion have been shaken off. Heaven is open
and hell is destroyed; death has been defeated and life is victorious.
Our Lord, Christ the Savior, through his sacrificial act on the cross
and his glorious resurrection, became a sacrifice of salvation for
mankind, which is dispersed everywhere, to all who receive with faith.
The priceless, divine act of salvation makes pious souls worthy of the
grace of the heavenly kingdom; and as the author of the hymn says, "He
who was crucified is risen and gave resurrection to you along with Him
"
The path of our people throughout the evolution of history has
frequently resembled Christ's. We often ascended to the tortures of
Golgotha, we were co-crossbearers with the Lord, and with faith in His
resurrection, we were risen as well. By the grace of God, our people
overcame the persecutions and massacres, the plots and ruins hurled at
them, and kept alive the hope of rebirth, of a secure and brilliant
life.
On this magnificent day of the luminous feast of Christ's holy
resurrection, we pray also for the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.
It was one century ago, when the sons and daughters of our nation,
were subjected to genocide by unheard of misery, only for being
Armenian and Christian. They accepted the crown of martyrdom with the
truth of the words of the apostle in their hearts, "For we know that
if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from
God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (II
Corinthians 5:1). Our people, through their martyrdom and resurrected
life, became a witness of the truth of the miracle of resurrection to
the world and all of mankind. We were crucified, we were afflicted and
persecuted, but not hopeless; we were wounded but not weak; dispersed
throughout the world, but not homeland-less. With the love of a lost
homeland in their hearts, our people sprouted new life again under
recreated statehood on the eastern portion of historic Armenia and in
Diaspora communities; believing that their tree of life, rooted on the
unshakeable foundation-rock of faith, and with life-giving strength,
provides fruit and bears children who build the nation and the
homeland.
We have struggled for one century for the universal recognition and
condemnation of the Genocide of the Armenians; and we continue in this
struggle with faith in the triumph of justice. At times the world
heard us, at others disregarded us, because it does not always listen
and remain faithful to Christ's message of peace and goodwill to men.
The result of which, the contemporary history of mankind was again
blackened by the darkness of new genocides and wars. Today as well,
human life is tempest tossed by conflict and bloodshed. On our cradle
of humanity - planet earth - the enviable peace and universal goodwill
and solidarity still remain as unrealized dreams. "Because God did not
make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living."
(Wisdom 1:13). Moreover, through His crucified and risen Only Begotten
Son, God has granted us the grace to rise from the dead, which compels
nations and governments to express a unified and collective will, to
prevent the dangers threatening the peace and welfare of humankind, to
be greater vigilant in the establishment of justice and righteousness,
in the work of universal condemnation of genocides. Otherwise, the
miserable paths of the world shall continue to lead toward new
tragedies. Mankind is indebted to wipe away the swelling sea of tears
in the world, to silence the thunder of killing weapons before the
helpless gaze, cries and shrieks of orphans and needy children who
yearn for a bright childhood, and to stamp out the evil of poverty.
Crucifixion must be defeated in the world, and be replaced by
resurrection.
Dear and pious faithful, today when we hear the good news of "He who
was crucified is risen, gave resurrection to you along with Him", let
us be encouraged in spirit, let us live as a people who rose with
Christ from death; as a people who are loyal to Christ and possess the
power of resurrection. Let us face the challenges and troubles of our
lives, and let us transform our crucifixion cross of difficulties into
a blossoming cross, through our full devotion of efforts and new
labors of dedication to our homeland and nation. Let us build our
national, public, and social life, as well as our
national-ecclesiastical sphere, with the certain faith of "for God is
with us", and walk toward new horizons of ascendancy and the victory
of our righteous cause.
With the joy of the Feast of the Holy Resurrection of Christ in our
souls, we convey our best wishes to the incumbents of the hierarchal
Sees of our Holy Apostolic Church: His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of
the Great House of Cilicia; His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan
Manougian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem; His Beatitude Archbishop
Mesrob Mutafian, Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople; and the
graceful heads of our Sister Churches.
With the glad tiding of our Lord's glorious resurrection, we greet the
President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsian and the First
Lady, present here today for the Divine Liturgy. We also extend
greetings to the President of the Republic of Artsakh, Bako Sahakian,
and high ranking Armenian state officials, wishing them abundant
service and new accomplishments, for the sake of our country's
strength and our people's progress and welfare. We offer our good
wishes and blessings to the President of the Armenian General
Benevolent Union, Mr. Berge Setrakian; and the members of the Union,
who are present and in the homeland for their Annual General Assembly.
We offer Easter greetings and our blessings to the leaders and
representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations
accredited to Armenia, wishing you success in your efforts, aimed at
strengthening the friendship and cooperation between our countries.
On the occasion of the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ, we
congratulate our faithful sons and daughters dispersed throughout the
world and oath-bound clergy of our Holy Church, conveying our
pontifical love and blessings, and appealing for the support and
abundant graces of our Risen Savior.
We pray for our omnipotent God to keep the entire world under his
boundless mercy, reinforce the spirit of peace, justice, and truth, in
the hearts of men, and bless the efforts of humanity to create a
secure and happy life. We offer our appeal to heaven, for the Lord to
keep our homeland in peace, bright with faith, and courageous in
spirit. May he guide our people dispersed throughout the world with
His life-giving graces to progress toward the luminous horizons of
life.
May the love and peace of our Risen Lord be with us, today and always
and forever. Amen.
Christ is Risen from the dead.
Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ.
Anglicannews, UK
April 4 2015
Ecumenical Easter letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury
Text of Archbishop Justin Welby's Easter letter to partners and heads
of other churches around the world.
"Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory! The risen Saviour, our Lord
of life, shines upon you! Let all God's people sing and shout for
joy!"
These words of triumph are sung out across churches as Easter dawns.
For centuries such sounds of joy at the Easter festival have echoed
and continue to echo around the globe in a multitude of different
tongues and cultural contexts, making a deep impact on the lives of
Christians and Churches. With the confession of Jesus having conquered
death we proclaim that we have been raised to new life in him.
In the 15th chapter of the First Letter to the Corinthian Christians,
St Paul couples the resurrection of Christ with confidence in the
resurrection of Christ's people.
The Apostle clearly states that the resurrection of Christ is a
beginning, and that the hope of our own resurrection can only be in
Christ. He argues: if the dead are not raised, then Christ is not
raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then his proclamation is
empty and our faith is in vain.
Having laid out all the arguments that would dispose of the Christian
claim to the risen Christ, he continues: "But in fact Christ has been
raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen
asleep." This is the faith that is also proclaimed in the Byzantine
opening to the Easter Liturgy and which has been the confession of
Christians down the ages.
The resurrection of Christ is the great hope, not only for each of us
individually, but also for today's troubled world - a world in which
violence and violation of human rights describe the day to day context
of people in many parts; a world in which moral and spiritual values
often seem hopelessly inadequate against the forces of self-seeking
gain in every sphere of life.
It is also a world in which our brother and sister Christians
This year our remembrance is also focussed particularly on
It is into this world that the message of the Church at Easter remains
constant over the centuries, proclaiming in the midst of hopelessness
the hope of Christ, triumphant beyond death and the powers of evil;
living and life giving amongst us.
In this resurrection faith we follow the saints and martyrs throughout
the ages who have proclaimed the Risen Christ as their Lord and
Saviour, who believe that in Christ there is abundant life and that
death and suffering will not have the final say. The Easter faith
strengthens us with the hope in life, here and now and in the world to
come.
This hope is not an illusion, which turns out to be empty; rather, it
is the tested cantus firmus over the ages for all Christians. Beyond
human imagination, the power of the resurrection overcomes disparate,
conflict-laden and destructive forces. We are called to proclaim God's
Good News in confidence and obedience to Christ to bring healing and
reconciliation.
Christ's resurrection, therefore, also compels us to ever closer bonds
of Christian fellowship with one another - the saints in the here and
now - to seek greater unity and work together with Christ, as his
Body, in the newness of life already begun by him.
It is in this spirit that I greet you with this letter.
I will continue to pray that the hope and joy of the resurrected
Christ will deeply move our hearts and souls, that it will heal
relationships between individuals, communities and nations, and that
it will banish fear, overcome suffering, broker peace and bring
reconciliation.
I close with the Song of Zechariah (Luke 1:78): "By the tender mercy
of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to
those that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide
our feet into the way of peace."
I embrace you with brotherly love in the Risen Christ,
The Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby
Archbishop of Canterbury
Easter 2015
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