In his Easter Pastoral Letter, Cardinal Claudiu, Major Archbishop of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church United with Rome, delivered a strong message of hope, light and faith, noting that 'a litany of despair unfolds every day before our eyes', but the Church reminds us that light cannot be defeated by darkness.

'Let us, therefore, follow the exhortation of the Holy Apostle Peter to always be ready to answer anyone who asks us to render account for the hope we hold (cf. 1 Peter 3:15). And our testimony will be truly convincing to the extent that those around us will be able to see that we are not just talking about light, but that the light of the Risen Christ himself shines in our thoughts and actions. In today's world, such a mission seems impossible to accomplish. How could we still bear witness to the love of God at a time of history when the world, which Pope Francis called 'our common home', seems consumed by hatred and violence? How can we speak of light when darkness creeps in everywhere, invading every cranny of life and spreading over consciences, like a shadow that no longer wants to go away? And, above all, how could hope still find its way in a world torn apart by wars around us and those within us, by economic, moral and existential crises, by deep anxieties and by an increasingly oppressive lack of perspective? A litany of despair unfolds before our eyes every day, which is amplified, on all screens, by images and news that can tempt us to think that evil has the last word. However, the Church teaches us that the power of light cannot be wiped out by darkness, because God is with us even when everything seems lost. He lights the flame of hope precisely in the hour of trials,' Cardinal Claudiu wrote in his Pastoral Letter for the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ 2026.

He also called for prayer for 'our brothers in Ukraine and the Middle East'.

'If the light of long-extinguished stars crosses the boundlessness of the universe to shine in our sky and bring us joy, and if the light of the wisdom and deeds of our ancestors reaches us across the centuries to inspire and guide us, how much more will the divine light of Christ pour upon us and dispel every shadow. Therefore, for the entire world, but especially for our brothers in Ukraine and the Middle East, our prayer must rise unceasingly, so that the Good Lord may grant them the strength not to give in to despair and help them to glimpse, among the black clouds of suffering, the faint glimmer of hope,' Cardinal Claudiu wrote.

The Paschal chant 'Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and to those in the tombs bestowing life' must be proclaimed today with holy joy, but above all it must also resonate with the church within our souls, the cardinal emphasized.

'Into that inner sanctuary, where God awaits us, we are invited to descend every day. There, in the warmth of pure prayer, in the undimmed light of the Holy Scripture and under the life-giving breeze of the Holy Spirit, the flame of faith received at baptism will grow and shine ever brighter to warm our hearts. And when our hearts burn with this holy fire, our eyes of mind will also be enlightened, to see more clearly what often escapes human sight. We will be able to know the saving plan that God has with us and with the entire world, beyond all deception and all the smokescreens that try to conceal and suffocate the truth,' Cardinal Claudiu also pointed out.

In conclusion, the hierarch addressed a message of blessing to the faithful.

'I entrust you all to the protection of the Most Pure Virgin Mary and the intercession of the Blessed Martyr Bishops, wishing you all to enjoy the Holy Holidays in peace and to remain forever in the light of the Lord! Christ is risen!,' the Major Archbishop of the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek Catholic, Claudiu-Lucian Pop wrote.

Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers celebrate Easter on Sunday. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)