His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania wrote a message for all Orthodox Christians in honour of the holiday.
Like in last year’s message, Patriarch Daniel brings attention to people in need, highlighting the easy ways of comforting them especially during Easter, which is a ‘celebration of peace and joy’.
He also stressed that the resurrection is a normal state since ‘man was not created to remain in the tomb, but to ascend into heaven’.
Patriarch Daniel’s Easter Message 2019: full text
The feast of the Resurrection of the Lord or Holy Pascha is the celebration of Christ’s victory over sin, hell and death.
Christ’s Resurrection is not a return to the temporal earthly life mixed with death, but the transition to a new life, the eternal heavenly life in the Kingdom of God.
Christ’s Resurrection is the beginning and the foundation of the resurrection of all humans at the end of ages. That is why, Saint Paul the Apostle notes that ‘for as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive’ (1 Corinthians 15:22).
The feast of Holy Pascha is the celebration of light, i.e. the ultimate purpose of human life and of the universe; it shows us that man was not created to remain in the tomb, but to ascend into heaven, and this temporal universe will turn into new heaven and new earth.
Because Holy Pascha is the celebration of peace and joy, it calls us to bring peace and joy to those in need by kind words and good deeds. At the same time, let us not forget our Romanian brothers and sisters living abroad among foreigners.
On Holy Pascha we convey to you wishes of good health and salvation, peace and joy, together with the pascal greeting:
Christ is risen!
†Daniel
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
