Light in a darkened world: Bishops release Easter messages

The resurrection of Christ is depicted in a mural in the sanctuary of Holy Family Church in the West Bank city of Ramallah (OSV News/Debbie Hill)

While war and crises rage in the world today, Christ is alive and present, bringing light and offering hope to troubled times. This is a common theme in the Easter messages of Australia’s Catholic bishops.

“This year the celebration of Christ’s resurrection is celebrated in the midst of world conflicts with many deaths of innocent human lives. These events have shaken us to the core. Humanity has suffered a severe blow,” writes Townsville Bishop Tim Harris.

“Christian hope in every respect sheds light in a darkened world. Christian hope tells us that there is a better way to live and indeed to die. Christian hope lifts us up to better things, to a better life, to a renewed commitment to each other, for God does not make rubbish.”

Port Pirie Bishop Karol Kulczycki SDS writes, “Now is the time for us to become the witnesses of the Resurrection. He has done great things in our life. So, we are called to extend His hands and His heart to those around us, family members and friends. This is the main message of Easter – Christ is alive and present in our world and our life.”

Toowoomba Bishop Ken Howell reflects on real-world drought and spiritual dryness, reminding Catholics that “Easter comes again to refresh the thirst in our lives that need quenching”.

“Like times of drought, we long for the life that comes from above. So also in our inner life, for our spiritual journey is marked by the need for our difficulties and questions to be answered and appreciated … Like the rain that comes and waters the earth, God has shone a light into the very heart of darkness that seems to surround us, a light that can never go out – the light of Easter!”

Perth Archbishop and Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe encourages Catholics to be faithful to God as Jesus was faithful to his Father. Acknowledging the feeling of helplessness people may experience in troubled times, Archbishop Costelloe says Jesus’s faithful example offers a way forward.

“Fidelity to the commitments we have made, simple acts of goodness and kindness to those we encounter each day, an openness to both give and receive forgiveness, and a rejection of the impulse to criticise and condemn – all these, so obvious in the life and teaching of Jesus, have the power to transform our lives and heal our relationships,” Archbishop Costelloe writes.

“In one sense, in the face of the challenges the world is facing, they may seem trivial. But peace in the world, peace in our country, and peace in our family, must begin somewhere. As a popular song puts it, “Let there be peace on earth – and let it begin with me”.

Read the bishops’ Easter messages below:

Adelaide

Archbishop Patrick O’Regan’s 2024 Easter message (video)

Ballarat

Bishop Paul Bird CsSR’s 2024 Easter message (written)

Bathurst

Bishop Michael McKenna’s 2024 Easter message (written)

Brisbane

Archbishop Mark Coleridge’s 2024 Easter Message (written and video)

Broken Bay

Bishop Anthony Randazzo’s 2024 Easter message (written)
Bishop Anthony Randazzo’s 2024 Easter message (video)

Canberra-Goulburn