Religious and political leaders in the UK are highlighting the conflict in the Middle East in their Easter messages, calling for “peace, justice and freedom” in the region. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, will deliver her first Easter sermon at Canterbury Cathedral on Sunday, calling “with renewed urgency” for peace in the Middle East and praying for “an end to the violence and destruction” in the region.
The archbishop’s plea comes as the war, launched by the US and Israel on Iran at the end of February, enters its sixth week. The conflict has so far killed thousands and, beyond the region, has resulted in soaring fuel prices amid an effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
Mullally is expected to pray that “all people of the region receive the peace, justice and freedom they long for” and will tell the cathedral’s congregation: “This week, our gaze and our prayers have been turned towards the land where Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead. Today, as we shout with joy that Christ is risen, let us pray and call with renewed urgency for an end to the violence and destruction in the Middle East and the Gulf.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer also mentioned the ongoing conflict in his Easter message, which he said was causing “real anxiety” for people. He called Easter “a celebration of hope, new life and renewal” and paid tribute to churches and Christian communities who “quietly and tirelessly support families, children and neighbours”. Starmer ended with a call for unity: “Our country is at its best when we choose community over division, kindness over indifference, and service over self-interest.”
