Happy Feast of the Resurrection! May you live the fullness of grace, joy and peace.
Today we mark the pinnacle and grand finale of the divine plan to save humankind from death, rescue them from hell and restore them to the bosom of the Heavenly Father. It is a long journey that embodies the unconditional, unlimited love of the Lord for the humans He created but who lost their way through sin. He came to them to grant them free redemption through His incarnation in the person of His Son Jesus Christ, who lived on earth 33 years, went around doing good and approaching the weary and the rejected to relieve them of their burdens and offer them new life. He was accused of wrongdoing and sin; He was humiliated, degraded, put on a sham trial, crucified, and died in order to fulfill the divine will of conquering death and descending into hell to lift Adam and all who followed him, carrying them to Heaven. He defeated death and offered free redemption to all His creation, replacing death with the promise of eternal life with the Father.
Today, we rejoice after having concluded the Holy Week of the Passion of Christ, before which we enjoyed the precious journey towards the comfort of the Kingdom of God during Lent. We find solace in the memory of loved ones who Divine Providence willed to depart our world before us; they now rejoice in the bosom of the Father, in the place where they have been healed from their physical and earthly pains, and soar where there is no pain, tears, or sighs. We know that now, they pray for us. Prominent among them is the great Metropolitan full of grace Anba Pachomius, Metropolitan of Beheira, Matrouh and the Pentapolis, lovingly remembered by the Church and the public, who passed away in March 2025 after a life of giving, care, love and sacrifice.
In this glorious Feast of the Resurrection, I offer the best wishes for a blessed, peaceful and joyful feast to our loving shepherd Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St Mark; also to all metropolitans, bishops, priests, and clergy of the Coptic Church. I also extend my good wishes to the heads, clergy and congregations of all Churches in Egypt, praying that God bestow upon Egypt His grace, protection and blessings. I also pray that God would extend His tender healing Hand over our fellow Palestinians to save them from the gruesome catastrophe inflicted upon them.
Watani International
20 April 2025
