Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem: We are not afraid. We are children of light and resurrection

With a firm proclamation of hope in the midst of adversity, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, led this Sunday the traditional procession of bouquets in the holy city, marking the beginning of Holy Week for Christians in Holy Land.

From the entrance of the city, the liturgical cry resonated: “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed who comes in the name of the Lord.” On this occasion, the cardinal wanted to send a message loaded with comfort, firmness and commitment to the complex context that the region lives due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“We are not afraid. We are children of light and resurrection, life. We hope and believe in love that overcome everything,” said April 13 Before the local faithful and the few pilgrims who have been able to arrive this year.

“I greet you especially you, the Christians of Jerusalem, for this day that you are dedicated to you, that first of all belongs to you, because you are, here in Jerusalem, who keep alive the flame of the Christian faith and the presence of Christ between us,” said the purple.

In a city marked by political and religious tensions, the patriarch recalled that “we are about to enter the week of passion,” exactly in the places where Jesus suffered and resurrected. “And by joining him, we will also join all those who live their passion here, among us and in the world,” he said.

The message did not dodged the painful reality that Jerusalem and its surroundings live: “We live difficult times” acknowledged. However, he invited not to stay in fear, but to look beyond: “Jesus’ passion is not the last word of God about the world. The risen is his last word.”

In a gesture that recalled the humble entry of Jesus in Jerusalem, the cardinal urged those present to offer Christ what little they have: “Our prayers, our crying, our thirst.” And he added that the cross, far from being “a symbol of death”, is “the throne” of the king who saves for love.

One of the most emotional passages of the message was his tribute to the Christians of Jerusalem: “Because you are the ones who keep alive the flame of the Christian faith.”

Cardinal Pizzaballa encouraged them not to give in to the pressure or those who want to divide or exclude: “No one can separate us from our love for the holy city, as no one can separate us from the love of Christ.”

He also reaffirmed the call to Christians to be builders: “Those who belong to Jesus will always be among those who build and do not demolish, those who respond to hatred with love.”

Finally, the purple called not to be discouraged, not lose, the mood or hope, and renew the commitment to peace and unity: “Let us confident the look … with the firm confidence in the strength of the love of Christ.”

The patriarch concluded by wishing everyone a happy Holy Week, remembering that Jerusalem, where Christ died and resurrected, remains “the place of reconciliation, of a love that saves and overcomes the borders of pain and death.”