Transcribed from the Metropolitan's letter, dated London, 8 May 2026. The signed original is below.
Dear Reverend Fathers, beloved sons and daughters in Christ,
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
With great joy in the light of the Holy Resurrection, I extend to each one of you, to your families, and to all our parish communities my heartfelt greetings and paternal blessings on this most radiant and life-giving Feast of Pascha.
On this holy and glorious day, the Church proclaims with triumph that death has been overthrown, sorrow has been transformed into joy, and the darkness of the tomb has been filled with the unwaning light of Christ's victory. As we chant with the Church: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.”
Before the joy of the Resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ willingly endured His holy Passion, the Cross, and the suffering of Golgotha. In the solemn hymns of Holy Week, the Church leads us to stand before the Cross in awe and gratitude, beholding the One who out of boundless love stretched out His hands for the life of the world.
Through His sacred Passion and precious Blood shed upon the Cross, He granted us forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with the Father. By His wounds we are healed, and by His self-offering in love our transgressions are washed away. The Cross is therefore not merely a sign of suffering, but the very fountain of divine mercy and forgiveness.
Yet the Passion does not stand alone. On the third day, Christ rose gloriously from the tomb, and through His Resurrection He bestowed upon us salvation, victory over death, and the promise of eternal life. If the Cross reveals to us the depth of God's forgiving love, the Resurrection reveals to us the fullness of His saving power. Through the Passion we receive forgiveness; through the Resurrection we receive salvation and new life in Him.
As our father among the saints, Saint John Chrysostom, proclaims in the holy Paschal Homily: “Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free… Christ is risen, and life reigns!” These words fill our hearts with the victorious joy of Pascha and remind us that the tomb is empty, death is conquered, and the grace of eternal life has dawned upon the world.
This divine truth is also a great consolation for our own lives. Many among us carry heavy crosses: illness and health difficulties, family struggles, uncertainty, grief, wars and conflicts that wound nations and hearts, and the many burdens that weigh upon daily life. At times these sufferings may seem overwhelming, and yet the Resurrection of Christ teaches us never to lose hope.
Just as the Passion was followed by the Resurrection, so too every trial borne in faith can become a path to renewal, healing, and spiritual victory. The Bridegroom who entered voluntarily into suffering for our sake also enters into our suffering today. He does not abandon His people in their pain but walks with us through every dark hour until the dawn of resurrection.
Therefore, I encourage all of you, beloved in Christ, to keep your minds and hearts fixed upon the Risen Lord. Let us place our trust wholly in Him, believing that He is able to bring peace where there is conflict, healing where there is sickness, reconciliation where there is division, and hope where there is despair.
The Resurrection is not only an event we commemorate; it is the living power of Christ active in our lives today. If we believe in Him and in His holy Resurrection, He will strengthen us, guide us, and in His wisdom resolve all things for our salvation.
May the joy, peace, forgiveness, and hope of the Risen Christ fill your homes and remain with you and your loved ones throughout this blessed Paschal season.
With my paternal love and prayers for you all,
Your Father in Christ,
+Silouan
Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland
