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The celebration of the Resurrection is the highest and most majestic expression of that endless love that embraces the whole of humanity and that defeats evil, says Cardinal Lucian, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia and Fagaras, in his pastoral address to the faithful.
"It is the celebration of the Mystery of redemption from the slavery of sin and death, it is the celebration of the voice of the open Heaven, of God's love proved by the sacrifice of His Son's life, the price of the redemption of the human race. (...). God manifests and expresses His love, even if man continues to live the reality of his life disturbed by sin. (...). We Christians believe that the Resurrection is the true salvation of all mankind. Death and hell have been destroyed, and our sins have been forgiven. (...). Being enflamed by these, we are also indebted, like the women who ran with great joy to tell the disciples that the Lord is risen, to share our hope and our lives with all people," says Cardinal Lucian, who is also the Major Archbishop of the United Romanian Church with Rome.
He says that the Saviour is in the hungry and the thirsty, in the imprisoned or foreign, in the naked or the sick.
"He is alive and present in the human altar on every street corner, in the human altar on every hospital bed, or in the human altar that fights to save lives. We think in these moments of our brothers who have been tried hard by the war in Ukraine, but also the populations of Turkey and Syria, severely affected by the earthquakes that caused a real tragedy. They are our brothers. Their tears are our tears. God suffers with them and with us," says the high Greek-Catholic prelate.
Cardinal Lucian emphasizes that the turbulent times we are living in show that there is a need for continuous conversion, extended from each believer to the entire Church, in its human and historical component.
"The Word of God strengthens us whenever we face injustices in society and teaches us to overcome them as Jesus Himself did, testifying to the truth with love and forgiveness," says Cardinal Lucian, who also refers to the demolition of the Greek-Catholic place of worship from Ungheni, "a sad news, an unjust and unimaginable event in a democratic society and in the relations between the sister Churches".
He also recalls the fact that 2023 is an occasion for the Greek Catholic Church to celebrate, because it is celebrating 170 years since the elevation of the United Romanian Episcopate of Transylvania to the dignity of Metropolitan.
"Only through faith will we taste the meaning of the Resurrection! Faith illuminates, sustains and transforms us. Without faith we are alone, we are poor souls and we cannot see beyond the grave. (...). Just as we bring home the 'light', on the Holy Night of the Resurrection, let us also carry, day by day, the inner light of our faith where we live, where we work, where we study. This means to live as true Christians in our family, to do our duty according to Christian principles in the place at work, at school and in society," the head of the Romanian Church United with Rome also says in his pastoral letter.
AGERPRES
