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Published by the
Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America, April 2005
PATRIARCHAL
PROCLAMATION ON HOLY PASCHA 2005 |
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Protocol No. 335
B A R T H O L O M E W,
BY THE MERCY OF GOD
ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE,
NEW ROME, AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH,
TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH,
GRACE, PEACE AND MERCY
FROM CHRIST THE SAVIOUR,
RISEN IN GLORY
Beloved brothers and sisters, children in the
Lord,
It is with great joy that we address you once
again with the Resurrectional greeting “Christ is
Risen!”
This greeting incorporates and heralds the
substantive content of our Christian faith: “We
celebrate the death of Death”. This message
continues to be unique and daring even in our
times, for, despite the two thousand years that
have elapsed since the birth of Jesus Christ, who
is Resurrected, humanity did not love life in the
same way Jesus Christ honored it.
Unfortunately, murderous tendencies are widely
spread. People obliterate their competitors in
order to prevail. Murderers kill in order to rob
or destroy incriminating evidence. Terrorists kill
in order to force nations and governments to
accept their demands. Ideologues take lives in
order to facilitate the prevailing of their
ideology. Nations clash for reasons of racial
dominance, and thousands of people are killed from
all opposing sides due to the absence of a spirit
of conciliation and peaceful settlement. Fanatics
murder the ones that do not share in their
fanaticism. Believers of one faith sometimes kill
others who represent a different faith. Ruthless
people kill in order to satisfy their bloodthirsty
instincts. Some commit suicide because they
consider the divine gift of life to be an
unbearable burden. In general, murderous acts,
which are condemned by all humanity and God, tend
to become an acceptable reality and a legitimate
means for the accomplishment of certain goals that
are unacceptably placed above human life.
In the midst of this abundance of blood shedding,
there appears the leader and Giver of life, Who
was murdered by humanity, trumpeting to all that
murderous acts are not signs of success. He
heralds that resurrection and judgment awaits us
all, that life is stronger than death, and that
the ones who build their edifices upon the death
of their fellow human beings labor in vain. Our
Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ confirmed through
His Resurrection His message that He is the way,
the truth and the life. He also confirmed that God
did not create death, nor does He take pleasure in
the loss of life (Wisdom of Solomon 1:13). For
while God created everything to last eternally,
death entered the world as a result of the impiety
of people. The love of God, though, not being able
to tolerate the predominance of death over human
beings comes to the rescue of humanity and
remedies the ills of human sin.
He was Incarnate, assumed mortal flesh and
willingly suffered death on the Cross, but He came
back to life on His own power, stronger than
death, thus becoming the Forerunner of all who
want to return to life alongside with Him. The
firstborn among the dead, first of the
resurrected, Giver of life and life after death,
abolished the bearer of death. Contemporary
humankind is so familiar with the catastrophic
evil of humanity that he does not always
understand the joy and depth of the Resurrection,
the restitution and eternal life that our
Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ has given us. Those
people, however, who foretaste and recognize the
joy arising from the Resurrection feel exultation
upon saying “Christ is Risen.” Today, we Orthodox
Christians celebrate along with the people who
experience this joy of the Resurrection of the
Lord, and we address one another with the
victorious greeting “Christ is Risen!”
Holy Pascha 2005
+ Bartholomew of Constantinople
Your fervent intercessor before the Risen Christ
To be read at the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of
Holy Pascha, immediately after the Holy Gospel.
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