PATRIARCHAL ENCYCLICAL ON THE OCCASION OF HOLY PASCHA.

† B A R T H O L O M E W BY GOD’S MERCY

ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE - NEW ROME AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH.

TO THE ENTIRE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH:

GRACE, PEACE, AND MERCY FROM CHRIST, RISEN IN GLORY.                                               Most honourable brother Hierarchs and blessed children in the Lord,

Having arrived, through fasting, prayer, and solemnity, at the radiant and all-festal day of Holy Pascha, we hymn and glorify the world-saving Resurrection of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, which marks the manifest victory of life over death, renews all creation, and opens to humanity the way of deification by grace. The Church of Christ preserves the paschal experience in her liturgical life, in the labours of the Saints and Martyrs of the faith, in the eschatological impulse of monasticism, in the proclamation of the Gospel “to the ends of the earth,” in theology and the ecclesial

arts, in the good witness of the faithful in the world, in the culture of love and solidarity, and in the immovable certainty that evil does not have the final word in history.                                                         The Resurrection of the Lord is lived as a Christ-bestowed freedom, which inspires, nourishes, and strengthens the creative powers of the human person and the good struggle for “whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable,”1 while reminding us all that the journey toward the Resurrection is inseparably bound to the Cross. The joy of the Cross and the Resurrection has preserved the people of God from identifying themselves with the spirit of this world, while at the same time safeguarding them from barren insularity and a spirituality devoid of dynamism and hope-bearing breath. The life of the faithful, in the crucified and risen Christ “for us men,” still today refutes every alien narrative of Christian ethos as a “morality of the

weak,” supposedly embodied in humility, forgiveness, sacrificial love, asceticism, theLord’s saying “but I say to you, do not resist the evil one,” and other principles and dispositions that belong to the very core of our identity. Nothing could be further from the truth than this reading of the ethos of Christianity - of sacrificial love that “does

not seek its own,” a love interwoven with courage, boldness, and existential authenticity. Pascha is a hymn to this freedom, to faith “working through love,” which is not our own achievement but grace and a gift from above, and which is lived in the holy Sacraments of the Church and in the “mystery” of service to one’s neighbour. Indeed, “love for God does not in any way tolerate hatred toward one’s fellow human being.” The Church of Christ the “salt of the earth,” the “light of the world,” the city

“set on a hill,” the lamp placed “on the lampstand” bears active witness in the world, before the signs of the times, about the grace that has come and “the hope that is in us.” The message of the Cross and the Resurrection resounds today as a Gospel of peace, reconciliation, and justice. War, hatred, and injustice stand opposed to the fundamental Christian principles for whose realization and establishment the people

of God pray and labour each day. In the light of the Resurrection, we beseech the Lord on behalf of the victims of wartime violence, the orphans, the mothers who mourn their children, and all those who bear in body and soul the effects of human cruelty and callousness. “Christ is risen” is a denial and condemnation of violence and fear and an invitation to a life of peace. War brings forth lamentation and death; the Resurrection conquers death and bestows incorruptibility.                                                   Before the daily images of the cruelty of war, the Church raises her voice and proclaims the sacredness of the human person - of every concrete human being anywhere on earth - and the duty of absolute respect for that dignity; and she calls upon us to “know our own worth, honour the Prototype, recognise the power of the mystery, and understand for whose sake Christ died.” The Resurrection of the Lord is the restoration of the human being to his pre-eternal calling. As the “beginning of another eternal life,” it heals alienating relationships and establishes the peace “which

surpasses all understanding” a peace that encompasses worldly reconciliation and pacification. Inspired by God, the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church the tenth anniversary of whose convocation we honour this year - underlined the duty of the Church “to encourage whatever truly serves the cause of peace (Rom. 14:19) and opens the way to justice, brotherhood, true freedom, and mutual love among all the children of the one heavenly Father, as well as among all peoples who make up. the one human family.”                                          Holy Pascha is the whole of our spiritual civilization, the very core of our piety. The Resurrection of the Lord is also our own resurrection in the present age, and at the same time a prefiguration and foretaste of the “common resurrection of all human beings” and of the renewal of the whole creation. Illumined by the all-radiant light of the face of the Risen Christ, and glorifying in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs His all-holy Name - the Prince of Peace, who is with us “always, unto the end of the age” we wish you a blessed Resurrection, a paschal season filled with divine gifts, and every day of your lives likewise, crying out the universal proclamation of joy: “Christ is risen! Truly the Lord is risen!”

Phanar, Holy Pascha 2026                      † Bartholomew of Constantinople fervent supplicant for you all to the Risen Lord

ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΗ ΑΠΟΔΕΙΞΙΣ ΕΠΙ Τῼ ΑΓΙΩι ΠΑΣΧΑ   † Β Α Ρ Θ Ο Λ Ο Μ Α Ι Ο Σ ΕΛΕῼ ΘΕΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ

ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ - ΝΕΑΣ ΡΩΜΗΣ

ΚΑΙ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗΣ ΠΑΝΤΙ Τῼ ΠΛΗΡΩΜΑΤΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ ΧΑΡΙΝ, ΕΙΡΗΝΗΝ ΚΑΙ EΛΕΟΣ ΠΑΡΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΝΔΟΞΩΣ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΝΤΟΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ.                                                          Τιμιώτατοι ἀδελφοί Ἱεράρχαι καί εὐλογημένα τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ, Φθάσαντες ἐν νηστείᾳ, προσευχῇ καί κατανύξει τήν λαμπροφόρον καί πανέορ-τον ἡμέραν τοῦ Ἁγίου Πάσχα, ὑμνοῦμεν καί δοξάζομεν τήν κοσμοσωτήριον Ἔγερσιν τοῦ Κυρίου καί Θεοῦ καί Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἡ ὁποία σηματοδοτεῖ τήν περιφανῆ νίκην τῆς ζωῆς ἐπί τοῦ θανάτου, καινοποιεῖ τήν κτίσιν πᾶσαν καί διανοίγει εἰς τόν ἄνθρωπον τήν ὁδόν τῆς θεώσεως κατά χάριν. Ἡ Ἐκκλησία τοῦ Χριστοῦ διασώζει τήν πασχάλιον ἐμπειρίαν εἰς τήν λειτουργικήν ζωήν, εἰς τούς ἄθλους τῶν Ἁγίων καί τῶν Μαρτύρων τῆς πίστεως, εἰς τήν ἐσχατολογικήν ὁρμήν τοῦ μοναχισμοῦ, εἰς τήν ἐξαγγελίαν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου «ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς», εἰς τήν θεολογίαν καί τήν δοξολο-γικήν τέχνην, εἰς τήν καλήν μαρτυρίαν τῶν πιστῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, εἰς τόν πολιτισμόν τῆς ἀγάπης καί τῆς ἀλληλεγγύης, εἰς τήν ἀμετακίνητον βεβαιότητα ὅτι τό κακόν δέν ἔχει τόν τελευταῖον λόγον ἐν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ. Ἡ Ἀνάστασις τοῦ Κυρίου βιοῦται ὡς χριστοδώρητος ἐλευθερία, ἡ ὁποία ἐμπνέει, τροφοδοτεῖ καί ἐνισχύει τάς δημιουργικάς δυνάμεις τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τόν ἀγῶνα τόν καλόν δι᾿ «ὅσα ἐστὶν ἀληθῆ, ὅσα σεμνά, ὅσα δίκαια, ὅσα ἁγνά, ὅσα προσφιλῆ, ὅσα εὔ-φημα» , ὑπενθυμίζουσα εἰς πάντας ἡμᾶς ὅτι ἡ πορεία πρός τήν Ἀνάστασιν εἶναι ἀδιαρρήκτως συνδεδεμένη μέ τόν Σταυρόν. Ἡ σταυροαναστάσιμος εὐφροσύνη ἔσωζε τόν λαόν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπό ταυτίσεις μέ τό πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, καί ἐν ταὐτῷ τόν προεφύλαττεν ἀπό τήν ἄγονον κλειστότητα καί μίαν πνευματικότητα ἄνευ δυναμι-σμοῦ καί ἐλπιδοφόρου πνοῆς. Ἡ ζωή τῶν πιστῶν, ἐν Χριστῷ σταυρωθέντι καί ἀνα-στάντι δι᾿ ἡμᾶς τούς ἀνθρώπους, ἀκυρώνει καί σήμερον ὅλα τά ἀνοίκεια ἀφηγήματα περί τοῦ χριστιανικοῦ ἤθους ὡς «ἠθικῆς τῶν ἀδυνάτων», τῆς δῆθεν ἐκπροσωπουμένης ὑπό τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης, τῆς συγχωρητικότητος, τῆς θυσιαστικῆς ἀγάπης, τοῦ ἀσκη-τισμοῦ, τοῦ Κυριακοῦ «ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ἀντιστῆναι τῷ πονηρῷ» καί ἄλλων ἀρχῶν καί στάσεων, αἱ ὁποῖαι ἀνήκουν εἰς τόν πυρῆνα τῆς ταυτότητός μας. Οὐδέν ἀναλη-θέστερον αὐτῆς τῆς προσεγγίσεως τοῦ ἤθους τῆς Χριστιανοσύνης, τῆς «οὐ ζητούσης τὰ ἑαυτῆς» θυσιαστικῆς ἀγάπης, τῆς συνυφασμένης μέ γενναιότητα, θάρρος καί ὑπαρκτικήν αὐθεντικότητα. Τό Πάσχα εἶναι ὕμνος εἰς αὐτήν τήν ἐλευθερίαν, τήν «δι᾿ ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένην» πίστιν, ἡ ὁποία δέν εἶναι ἰδικόν μας κατόρθωμα, ἀλλά χάρις καί ἄνωθεν δωρεά καί βιοῦται εἰς τά ἅγια μυστήρια τῆς Ἐκκλησίας καί εἰς τό «μυστή-ριον» τῆς διακονίας τοῦ πλησίον. Ὄντως, «ἡ εἰς Θεὸν ἀγάπη, τοῦ εἰς ἄνθρωπον μίσους παντελῶς οὐκ ἀνέχεται» Ἡ Ἐκκλησία τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τό «ἅλας τῆς γῆς», τό «φῶς τοῦ κόσμου», ἡ πόλις, «ἡ ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη», ὁ λύχνος, ὁ «ἐπὶ τῆν λυχνίαν» 5 , δίδει ἐμπράκτως ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐνώπιον τῶν σημείων τῶν καιρῶν τήν μαρτυρίαν περί τῆς ἐλθούσης χάριτος καί «τῆς ἐν ἡμῖν ἐλπίδος». Ὁ λόγος τοῦ Σταυροῦ καί τῆς Ἀναστάσεως ἠχεῖ σήμερον ὡς Εὐαγγέ-λιον εἰρήνης, καταλλαγῆς καί δικαιοσύνης. Ὁ πόλεμος, τό μῖσος καί ἡ ἀδικία ἀντιστρα-τεύονται τάς θεμελιώδεις χριστιανικάς ἀρχάς, διά τήν πραγμάτωσιν καί ἑδραίωσιν τῶν ὁποίων προσεύχεται καί ἐργάζεται καθ᾿ ἡμέραν ὁ λαός τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐν τῷ φωτί τῆς Ἁναστάσεως, δεόμεθα τοῦ Κυρίου ὑπέρ τῶν θυμάτων τῆς πολεμικῆς βίας, τῶν ὀρφα-νῶν, τῶν θρηνουσῶν τά τέκνα των μητέρων, ὑπέρ πάντων ὅσων φέρουν εἰς τό σῶμα καί τήν ψυχήν των τά ἐνεργήματα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης σκληρότητος καί ἀναλγησίας. Τό «Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη» εἶναι ἄρνησις καί καταδίκη τῆς βίας καί τοῦ φόβου καί πρόσκλησις εἰς βίον εἰρηνικόν. Ὁ πόλεμος παράγει ὀδυρμόν καί θάνατον· ἡ Ἀνάστασις νικᾷ τόν θάνατον καί χαρίζεται ἀφθαρσίαν. Ἐνώπιον τῶν καθημερινῶν εἰκόνων τῆς βαρβαρότητος τοῦ πολέμου, ἡ Ἐκκλησία διακηρύσσει γεγονυίᾳ τῇ φωνῇ τήν ἱερότητα τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου προσώπου τοῦ κάθε συγκεκριμένου ἀνθρώπου ὅπου γῆς, καί τό χρέος τοῦ ἀπολύτου σεβασμοῦ της, καί καλεῖ ὅπως «γνωρίσωμεν ἡμῶν τὸ ἀξίωμα, τιμήσωμεν τὸ ἀρχέτυπον, γνῶμεν τοῦ μυ-στηρίου τὴν δύναμιν καὶ ὑπὲρ τίνος Χριστὸς ἀπέθανε». Ἡ Ἀνάστασις τοῦ Κυρίου εἶναι ἀποκατάστασις τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰς τήν προαιώνιον κλίσιν του. Ὡς «ἀπαρχὴ ἄλλης βιο-τῆς αἰωνίου» θεραπεύει τάς ἀλλοτριωτικάς σχέσεις καί ἐγκαθιδρύει τήν εἰρήνην «τὴν ὑπερέχουσαν πάντα νοῦν», ἡ ὁποία ἐμπερικλείει τήν ἐγκόσμιον καταλλαγήν καί εἰρήνευσιν. Θεοκινήτως ἡ Ἁγία καί Μεγάλη Σύνοδος τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας, τήν συμπλήρωσιν δεκαετίας ἀπό τῆς συγκλήσεως τῆς ὁποίας τιμῶμεν ἐφέτος, ὑπεγράμ-μισε τό καθῆκον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας «νά ἐπικροτῇ πᾶν ὅ,τι ἐξυπηρετεῖ πράγματι τήν εἰρή-νην (Ρωμ. ιδ’, 9) καί ἀνοίγει τήν ὁδόν πρός τήν δικαιοσύνην, τήν ἀδελφοσύνην, τήν ἀλη-θῆ ἐλευθερίαν καί τήν ἀμοιβαίαν ἀγάπην μεταξύ ὅλων τῶν τέκνων τοῦ ἑνός οὐρανίου Πατρός, ὡς καί μεταξύ ὅλων τῶν λαῶν τῶν ἀποτελούντων τήν ἑνιαίαν ἀνθρωπίνην οἰκογένειαν». Τό Ἅγιον Πάσχα εἶναι ὁλόκληρος ὁ πνευματικός πολιτισμός μας, ὁ πυρήν τῆς εὐσεβείας μας. Ἡ Ἀνάστασις τοῦ Κυρίου εἶναι καί ἡ ἰδική μας Ἀνάστασις ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, προτύπωσις δέ καί πρόγευσις τῆς «κοινῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀναστάσεως» καί τῆς ἀνακαινίσεως ὁλοκλήρου τῆς δημιουργίας. Κατηυγασμένοι ὑπό τοῦ ὑπερλάμπρου φωτός τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ Ἀναστάντος Χριστοῦ καί δοξάζοντες ἐν ψαλμοῖς καί ὕμνοις καί ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς τό ὑπεράγιον ὄνομα Αὐτοῦ, τοῦ Ἄρχοντος τῆς εἰρήνης, τοῦ ὄντος μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν «πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος» 10 , εὐχόμεθα «Κα-λήν Ἀνάστασιν», πλήρη θείων δωρημάτων ὁλόκληρον τήν πασχάλιον περίοδον καί πάσας τάς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς ὑμῶν, ἀναφωνοῦντες τό κοσμοχαρμόσυνον «Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς Ἀνέστη ὁ

Κύριος!»

Φανάριον, Ἅγιον Πάσχα , βκς´† Ὁ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως διάπυρος πρός Χριστόν Ἀναστάντα εὐχέτης πάντων ὑμῶν.