CHAPLAINS' EASTER MESSAGE

Whenever we ponder the Easter story, we naturally begin at its beginning and for us as Christians, the journey begins on that first Good Friday when our gaze is transfixed by the horrors of a place, we reluctantly visit, “virtually” year after year. It is the spot where butchery and torture are played out, where mans inhumanity to his fellow man is manifest and death becomes a sobering reality.

Sadly, over the years, there have been other such places of infamy, Auschwitz, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Iraq, Syria and now a place that many of us had never even heard of prior to recent happenings there, the town of Bucha in Ukraine has been added to the list of places where horror and death walked side by side.

This year as we began our Lenten journey, and despite all diplomatic dialogue, Russian troops invaded Ukraine. This hostile action caused outrage and alarm amongst all NATO and EU countries for obvious reasons. After two world wars and countless conflicts since, it seems our world is still in search of a lasting peace and mankind has still not learnt the lessons of those who walked before us, namely that aggression will never prevail.

Although Golgotha may have marked the beginning of the Easter story, it’s certainly not journeys end; for Easter beckons and the bright promise of immortality it brings, through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, shines as a beacon to welcome us to our true and lasting home.

On behalf of the Catholic Police Guild of England & Wales, may I wish you all a very Blessed and joyful Easter. ALLELUIA!

Fr. Barry Lomax

The National Chaplain.