TIRANA, April 29 /ATA/ – Anastasios Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and all Albania extended Orthodox Easter greetings on Thursday, calling for unity, harmonious coexistence of the people and the peoples.
“Liberation from hatred and its forms,” the Archbishop said in his Easter message.
“The joyful celebration of Easter invites us to shine with joy, liberated from the captivity of deadly passions, from every dark element hidden at the depth of our ego,” Archbishop Anastasios said.
“The events of the crucifixion of Christ are not only associated with horrible pain, blatant injustice, bottomless deceit, but above all with an abysmal hatred of the religious leadership, which mobilized an uncontrollable hostility of the mob. But all this was overthrown by the Resurrection of Christ. The Resurrection proclaims a significant victory over death, evil plans, and deadly passions: envy, lies, and especially hatred with its various mutations, resentment, revenge, deceit, which remain enduring in all ages and all societies. Hatred contaminates people’s lives in the family, in religious and political life, in the relations of nations, creating unpredictable conflicts. And today, in the disturbing atmosphere created by the pandemic, a peculiar hatred often appears in various environments, with a variety of mutations, from the simplest symptoms – irritability, dislike, aggression to the most serious, polarization, violence, and discord,” he said.
“The effective vaccine for dealing with hatred and its various forms was revealed to us by the crucified and resurrected Christ: it is the voluntary offering of forgiveness,” Archbishop added.
“Drawing inspiration and strength from the glorious feast of Easter, let us try to make peace, forgiving even those who hate us, even if it seems difficult,” His Beatitude said, adding “the Resurrection of Christ, proclaiming the victory of life over death and all destructive passions, calls us to rejoice in our liberation from their dynasty.”
“Let us become fighters against hatred and its various mutations and fight with unwavering faith, to strengthen the unity, the love, the harmonious coexistence of the people and the peoples. Christ is risen, my brothers and sisters, with enduring health and hope in the murky period of the pandemic and with the resurrection of freedom in our souls!” he concluded.
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