In the Christmas Pastoral Letter, His Grace Bishop Iustin of Maramureș and Sătmar underscores the importance of making a definitive decision between living in the light through faith and love and in the darkness through lawlessness and the rejection of Christ in the context of the modern world, which is characterised by conflicts, divisions, and moral challenges.
“The joy, light, peace, and salvation brought to the world by Christ, the Son of God, have always been proclaimed by the Church, the Gospel being the best and most hopeful news for all of humanity.”
Referring to the prophetic words of the Savior, “And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light” (John 3:19-21), His Grace explained that people will be divided between “the children of light, the believers in God, and the children of darkness, who have rejected Christ, the Light of the World.”
“For two thousand years, the Church of Christ, ‘against which the gates of hell shall not prevail’ (Matthew 16:18), has spread light, peace, joy, love, and forgiveness among the nations of the earth.”
Agent of Evil
His Grace Bishop Iustin also pointed out that the devil is the agent of evil, bringing division, hatred, conflict, and death into the world, and those who do not believe in Christ and consider themselves masters of the world are involved in suppressing human freedom and dignity.
“However, the evil one, the devil, the enemy of happiness and human salvation, sows division, hatred, conflict, war, and death. Those who do not believe in Christ and think themselves masters of the world continue to suppress freedom and human dignity, which are supreme and inalienable gifts, given by God to man since the creation of the world.”
“Believing themselves masters over people, they adopt laws of lawlessness, making lawlessness into law, against the fundamental truths of humanity, trying to change the normality created by God and to corrupt the natural life from its canon and norm, which are holy.”
Family is Holy and Indissoluble
In this year’s Christmas Pastoral Letter, His Grace also reminded us of the sanctity and indissolubility of the family, made up of a man and a woman.
“Each family – man and woman, according to the biblical model – is blessed and holy, having the purpose of procreation and continuing life on earth. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate (Mark 10:9), said the Saviour. It is, therefore, a defiance against God to try to change the order of human nature.”
“But let us be mindful! Let us stand firm, let us stand with fear! God watches over and provides, and the Church of Christ endures, loves, forgives, and prays for the protection of God’s people from the schemes of the evil one.”
Lack of Fear of God
His Grace also painted a picture of a social environment marked by suffering and fragmentation, where the lack of fear of God and the absence of moral benchmarks are the source of global imbalances.
“All human deviations – unjust wars, oppression of peoples by the powerful, the arrogant defiance of the weak and helpless, impoverishing nations through theft, deception, and unequal distribution of resources for existence; the disintegration of nations through covert plans to undermine identity values, the values that have consecrated the civilized and Christian world; the deprivation of freedom, of the right to decide one’s own path and the authoritarian, unilateral imposition of misguided directions that traumatize entire peoples; the brutal intervention in the right of nations to choose their path with dignity and freedom – all these are caused by the lack of fear of God, of His just judgment and punishment.”
“God lets us go down the path we choose, even when we have chosen not to follow His path. But when things worsen – when the voice of the troubled and oppressed people is not heard, when the people are deprived of the love and empathy they deserve, when they are left without defense and support, when they are deprived of the right to order their family and life, of the possibility to procure what is necessary for sustenance, to raise and educate their children, and to live decently, naturally, in respect of sacred and identity values – God makes His presence known, through His mercy and justice,” added the hierarch.
Photo: Diocese of Maramureș and Sătmar
