“DO NOT BE AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE…”

Thus said Christ to the sick man facing death, to the disciples caught in the storm, and to His followers weighed down by the anxieties of life and overtaken by uncertainty (Luke 12:32). Jesus addressed the same call in the face of perilous situations, as well as on the eve of His Resurrection: do not be troubled, do not be afraid (John 14: 27), only believe. 

Christianity is not a religion that flees from fear, is defeated by fear, or yields to fear, but a religion that stands firm before fear, confronts fear with courage, and overcomes fear with faith. Faith is a source of inner greatness and self-confidence. Faith is a powerful shield against fear and despair. It is a powerful weapon that vanquishes evil, sin, and even death. This constitutes the essence of Christ’s teachings: “Your faith has saved you” (Luke 7:50), said Jesus to the woman mired in the mire of sin.

With His triumphant Resurrection, Christ reaffirmed the message that represented the foundation of His mission: “Don’t be afraid, just believe” (Mark 5:36), “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Hence, Christ’s Resurrection is a source of the power of faith and, at the same time, a call to overcome evil and wickedness, suffering and distress, through faith in the resurrection.

The Son of God, “trampling down death by death” and giving the promise of always being with us and of returning again, once more urges by way of the Church—his mystical body—the sons and daughters of our nation who have followed him with faithfulness and even with the martyrdom of blood: Do not be troubled, do not despair, do not be afraid, only believe.

Therefore, let us turn to Christ, who through his miraculous resurrection granted us the faith to conquer anxiety with renewed hope, fear with steadfast will, death with the breath of the resurrection, and let us imbue our life with faith in the resurrection and, with the strength of faith, confront the anxieties rising around us.

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In these days, crisis has gripped our Middle East communities. The war is causing human, material, and economic devastation throughout the region. Armenian communities are naturally exposed to the terrible consequences of war. The safety of our communities is for us an absolute priority. Indeed, while living in different political, religious, cultural, economic, and social environments, we think fellow Armenians, while adjusting to local conditions, remain firmly attached to the following principles:

— Remain loyal to the direction and decisions taken by their governments. The sons and daughters of our nation have always been exemplary citizens in the countries where they live. In the current circumstances of crisis, our communities must demonstrate their loyalty in practice.

— Participate in the work of government as well as community organizations called to overcome the crisis, alleviate hardships, and restore social and economic life.

And as members belonging to organized communities, our faithful need to:

— Rally around our churches, community organizations, and centers.

— Remain vigilant and closely follow current developments, to keep our communities away from perilous situations.

— Face all the difficulties with a united front and taking part in communal initiatives.

We are closely following the upheavals taking place in the region. We are in constant communication with our religious and community leaders. We are deeply concerned by the unpredictable consequences created by the crisis. We pray that, with the blessing of God and through the prudent and farsighted approach of political leaders, peace may soon be established in the Middle East. 

I wish to remind the sons and daughters of our nation that they are not alone in these trying days. The Apostle says: “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it…” (1 Cor. 12:26). Thus has our people acted in fateful times, proving in practice that, however distant from one another they may be, they live, act, and struggle with a deep consciousness of belonging to one and the same nation. Indeed, the readiness to confront crises together and to extend to one another a helping hand has always been an unwavering principle and a firm commitment for the sons and daughters of our nation.

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On the occasion of the glorious Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with warm brotherly love we extend our greetings to His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, wishing him a long pontificate filled with God-pleasing accomplishments. We also extend our greetings to the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, and to the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, His Beatitude Archbishop Sahak Mashalian, wishing them fruitful service in ministering to the flock entrusted to their spiritual care.

With pontifical blessing and fatherly love, we greet the Prelates of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, the clergy, the community leaders, the organizations and unions active in the life of our people, and our faithful people. We pray to God that under His heavenly protection He may keep and protect the children of our nation, so that, strengthened by the victory of the Risen Savior, we may with renewed faith and resolve confront the challenges raised before our Church, homeland, and people.

Christ is risen from the dead,
Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ.

ARAM I, CATHOLICOS
OF THE GREAT HOUSE OF CILICIA

Holy Easter 2026
Antelias, Lebanon