16 April 2017. On Easter Sunday, St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral and the courtyard in Antelias were filled with Armenians who had come to celebrate the Resurrection and its ‘vision of hope.’

His Holiness Aram I celebrated the Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection and the “Shenorhali” Choir chanted the hymns. In his message the Catholicos said, “The ultimate purpose of the resurrection of Jesus, from His death on the cross and descent to the tomb, was to redeem humanity from suffering and sin and to instil them with the power and hope of the Resurrected Jesus Christ, thus making them partakers of the divine nature.” He then added, “Hope in the Resurrected Christ was never an abstraction for us; throughout history by forging their lives on God’s love and power, our ancestors were able to face the impossible.” The Catholicos exhorted the people to follow the example of their predecessors by making this power visible through genuine faith in the Resurrected Lord.

At the end of the Holy Liturgy, His Holiness Aram I received spiritual leaders and representatives of Armenian civil society organizations.