Amid the ongoing suffering caused by war in Iran, Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu has offered a message of hope rooted in the Resurrection, reminding the faithful that Christ’s victory over death remains present even in the midst of trial.
According to Vatican News, the Cardinal Archbishop of the Latin Archdiocese of Tehran-Isfahan fled the country on March 9 alongside staff from the Italian embassy, departing “not without regret and sorrow” as conflict intensified. Now in Rome, he joined Pope Leo XIV and fellow cardinals for the Easter celebrations at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Though physically separated from his people, Cardinal Mathieu used the occasion of Easter to reach out spiritually to the Catholics of Iran. Reflecting on his experience during the Easter Vigil, he wrote, “I find myself far from you, the flock entrusted to me, separated by the events of war, waiting to be able to find you again.” Yet even in that separation, he emphasized a deeper unity: “far from my flock, but, precisely for this reason, in a mysterious way, close to each one of you” (according to Vatican News).
From within the heart of the universal Church, standing beneath the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Cardinal described his communion with the faithful not as diminished by distance, but transformed through grace. “In the communion of the Saints and in the grace of the Sacraments, above all in the Eucharist, we are truly united, even when we cannot be so visibly,” he said. “What appears to the eyes as distance, in faith, becomes communion” (according to Vatican News).
Drawing on the symbolism of the Easter Vigil, Cardinal Mathieu reflected on the light of Christ shining in darkness. He likened this light to the moon’s reflection of the sun, pointing to the Blessed Virgin Mary as one who leads all believers back to her Son, “the source of all life: her Son, Jesus Christ, true God and true man” (according to Vatican News).
The Cardinal also pointed to the example of the women at the empty tomb, whose encounter with the Risen Christ transformed fear into faith. Their experience, he suggested, mirrors the journey of all Christians who must pass through suffering while holding fast to hope.
Even as war continues and the faithful endure uncertainty, Cardinal Mathieu reminded them that the Resurrection is not only a future promise but a present reality. “In the Risen Christ, the new life has already begun, even if it still passes through trial,” he said (according to Vatican News).
Closing his message, the Archbishop entrusted his flock to Christ, affirming that no circumstance can sever the unity found in Him. “In Christ, living and risen, closeness and remoteness are transfigured,” he said. “Only He remains, who unites us, keeps us, and guides us, until we may once again be gathered as one flock under one Shepherd” (according to Vatican News).
In a time marked by displacement and suffering, the Cardinal’s Easter message stands as a reminder to the faithful that Christ’s Resurrection is not distant history, but a living source of strength—one that sustains His Church even in the darkest of hours.
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