Boris Johnson said the war in Ukraine reinforces Jesus Christ’s message of victory over good and evil, with the nation’s independence dominating Sunday’s political and religious Easter messages.
Speaking on Twitter, the Prime Minister paid tribute to “Christians in Ukraine, whether celebrating Easter today or its Orthodox equivalent later this month, for whom Christ’s message of hope, the triumph of life over death and good over evil, will resonate this year, perhaps more than any other. “
He also speaks in Ukrainian, referring to Psalm 31:24, telling the audience, “Be strong and have courage in your hearts, all you who trust in the Lord.”
He added: “Easter tells us that there is light beyond darkness, that redemption lies beyond suffering.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Pope Francis also mentioned the conflict in Ukraine on Sunday.
Delivering his Easter address from Canterbury Cathedral, Welby said: “Ukrainians have woken up to the end of the world as they know it.
“Now they are awakened by the sounds of war and the disgusting reality of terror. They are awakened by mortal fear. “
He added: “Let this be a time for a Russian ceasefire, withdrawal and a commitment to negotiations. This is a time to restore the paths of peace, not what Bismarck calls blood and iron. May Christ win. Let the darkness of war be banished. “
The pope addressed about 100,000 people in the Vatican and spoke about his pain from the conflict.
He said: “Our eyes are also distrustful of this Easter of war. We have seen too much blood, too much violence. Our hearts were also filled with fear and anguish, as so many of our brothers and sisters had to lock themselves up to protect themselves from bombing.
“May there be peace for Ukraine, torn apart by war, so severely tested by the violence and destruction of the brutal and senseless war in which it was involved.
The pope spoke to a crowd on Easter Sunday for the first time since the pandemic began, and applause erupted from the crowd in St. Peter’s Square at the mention of Ukraine.
He condemned “flexing muscles while people suffer” and called on the world to “please, please, let’s not get used to war”.
“Let us all commit to praying for peace from our balconies and on our streets,” he said. “Let the leaders of the nations hear the people’s plea for peace.”
Labor leader Keir Starmer also released a video in which he tells Christians around the world: “I know you are inspired by the life of Jesus and the Easter story, which is a message of overcoming adversity and hope. In the light that overcomes the darkness. ”
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