Archbishop Mullally calls for urgent peace in the Middle East during first Easter sermon, urging Christians to pray for justice, freedom, and an end to violence, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
In her first Easter sermon as leader of the Church of England, Archbishop Dame Sarah Mullally called for an end to “violence and destruction” in the Middle East.
Addressing a congregation at Canterbury Cathedral, she prayed “with renewed urgency” for peace across the region, as the US-Israel war against Iran enters its sixth week. Thousands have reportedly died since the conflict began on February 28, following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Iranian retaliatory attacks, and subsequent Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon after Hezbollah fired rockets.
“This week our gaze and our prayers have been turned towards the land where Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead,” the Archbishop told worshippers. “Today, as we shout with joy that Christ is risen, let us pray and call with renewed urgency for an end to the violence and destruction in the Middle East and the Gulf.”
She emphasised the universal hope that all people in the region would “receive the peace, justice and freedom they long for,” urging Christians to celebrate the hope of the empty tomb while committing themselves to prayer for a war-torn region.
The sermon comes just under two weeks after Dame Sarah’s historic installation as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury. She reflected on her personal journey, saying her teenage self “could never have imagined the future that lay ahead,” a milestone that adds symbolic weight to her message of hope and reconciliation.
As the conflict escalates, with strikes across multiple countries and attacks on civilian infrastructure, international observers and humanitarian agencies have warned of a deepening crisis in the Middle East. The Archbishop’s Easter call aligns with broader global appeals for dialogue and de-escalation.
