Catholic archbishop sends Easter message

Catholic archbishop sends Easter message

The archbishop said in his message that the upcoming holidays commemorating the death and resurrection of Christ remind humanity of the joy of the faith in new life.

"True faith in the resurrection frees humanity of senselessness, hopelessness and passivity," he said.

"I want these Easter celebrations to renew you wholly and incite an unwavering faith of hope," Hočevar said, addressing Orthodox believers with the traditional Serbian Easter greeting, "Christ is risen."

In a letter to Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Hočevar reminded of this year's joint anniversaries - the centenary of the start of "the horrid World War I" and 50 years since the meeting of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras in Jerusalem.

The archbishop announced that Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I will meet this year.

Hočevar will serve Easter Mass in the Catholic church of Christ the King in Belgrade.