On Bright Tuesday, the 8th/22nd of April 2025, the customary Easter visits among the Christian Communities took place. At 8:00 a.m. that day, the Patriarchate received the visit of the Brotherhood of the Franciscans of the Roman Catholic Church. At 10:00 a.m., His Beatitude and the Fathers of the Holy Sepulchre received all the Christian Communities together — the Lutheran Church, the Syrian, the Coptic, and others — except the representatives of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the representative of the Vatican in Jerusalem, who were absent due to mourning following the passing of the Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

His Beatitude’s speech for the Franciscan delegation read as follows:

“Your Paternity, dear Father Francesco,
Beloved Members of our Respective Brotherhoods,
Dear Fathers,

Christ is risen!

We welcome you, dear Father Francesco, and the members of your Brotherhood to our Patriarchate for
this jubilant feast of Pascha, and we thank you for your Easter greetings. Even in this time of war and
conflict, we sing with joyful hearts:

The angels of heaven praise your Resurrection,
O Christ our Saviour.
Make us also here on earth worthy
to glorify you with pure hearts.

(From Paschal Matins)
As we gather in this joyful season, we do so as you mourn the passing of His Late Holiness, Pope
Francis. Pope Francis was a significant and tireless defender of the Christian presence in our region,
and we were always appreciative of his support for the Christian identity of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.
He kept before the world the plight of suffering peoples everywhere, and never ceased in his calls for
peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. We wish to express our sincere condolences to you and to your
Brotherhood.

The crisis continues, and our first thoughts on this great feast are with those who are suffering at this
time: the victims of violence, the displaced, the hungry, the homeless, the wounded, and those held
captive. We have a deep pastoral concern for the Christian communities of the Holy Land, especially for
the Monastery of Saint Porphyrios and the Church of the Holy Family, as well as for the Anglican Hospital,
in Gaza, which continue to face uncertainty and danger, and yet which continue to carry out their mission
to serve their local community. We are also troubled on behalf of those who are suffering economic
hardship during this time when the presence of pilgrims is severely curtailed. The status of Jerusalem
and its essential Christian character remain under threat, and our mission to guard and serve the Holy
Places is more important and urgent than ever. The Christian community of the Holy Land is united in
many challenges.

Yet we cannot relinquish hope.
Despite the conflict, modest numbers of pilgrims, both Orthodox and non-Orthodox, continue to make the
journey to the Holy Land. This is a sign of hope, for it reminds us of the ongoing significance of
Jerusalem and the Holy Land as a consolation and refreshment to the soul in a world so mired in conflict,
division, and confusion. Whatever the circumstances, we have a moral obligation to remain united to
serve the spiritual mission of Jerusalem, which is sacred to the followers of all the monotheistic traditions.
Jerusalem is the witness that the passion, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ are not
abstract concepts, but are a tangible reality anchored in time and place in sacred history. The time was the era of the Roman Empire; the place was here, in this Holy City. The Empty Tomb is the eloquent and enduring testimony to truth of the Gospel.

Therefore, even in this time of trial for so many, we do not lose hope. For the Empty Tomb is the
declaration of unconquered hope, and to this unconquered hope we are ourselves living witnesses. Just
as the tomb could not hold the Eternal Logos of God a prisoner, so we are supported by the promise of
new and eternal life.

We wish you, Your Paternity, the joy of this Feast of Feasts. May God bless you and your Fraternity and
the communities that you serve, and may the light that shines from the All-Holy and Life-Giving Tomb
lighten our path and illumine our hearts.

Christ is risen!”

 

Subsequently, visits were made to the Franciscans, the Copts, and the Syrians to exchange Easter greetings.

In the exchanged addresses, emphasis was placed on the multifaceted personality of the late leader of the Roman Catholic Church, the difficulties faced by the faithful of the Christian Communities on Holy Saturday during their entrance into the Church of the Resurrection, and the need for cooperation among the Christian Churches in supporting the Christian residents of the Middle East in the spirit of the Cross and the Resurrection of the Lord.

From the Secretariat-General

By en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info

Source Link: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/chronicle/easter-visits-to-the-patriarchate/