In his Easter Message on Sunday, April 8, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I said, “Christianity would have lost its purpose and meaning without Christ’s resurrection. Resurrection is the fulfillment of the promise of a renewed Christian life guided by the truth and righteousness of God.”

He addressed two issues that touch the lives of people in the Middle East.

Of the situation in the Arab World, he said, “We would like to see the metaphorical spring become a real spring, whereby the flowers of justice, mutual understanding, peaceful coexistence and human rights break into full bloom.” “Because Christians and Muslims both belong to this region and their histories are interwoven,” he continued, “they should work as partners to demand that as new reforms are introduced in these countries, the full rights of both communities are respected and constitutionally recognized.”

His Holiness Aram I also addressed the internal situation in Lebanon. While he commended the government for restoring internal security, he suggested that more could be done to respond to the urgent needs of the population. For example, he asked, “How can any government deprive its citizens of electricity for more than thirty years?” Finally, he urged the government to hasten dialogue among the different political parties in order to strengthen the unity of the country.

He then blessed the faithful, and prayed that they carry the message of resurrection into their everyday lives.

On Easter Monday, during the liturgy of Memorial for the Deceased that follows every major feast in the Armenian Church, the Catholicos presided over the service. Special prayers were said for the inhabitants of Maragha village in Martakerk, Karabagh, who were massacred twenty years ago.