Archbishop of Canterbury to use first Easter sermon to issue urgent plea for Middle East peace

Dan McDonald
Sat, 04 Apr 2026 23:02:35 +0000

Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally will issue an urgent plea for peace in the Middle East during her first Easter sermon in the role.

In her address at Canterbury Cathedral on Easter Sunday, she is expected to pray for “an end to the violence and destruction” engulfing the region.

Her intervention comes as the war enters its sixth week, with thousands already reported killed.

The conflict has also caused disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up fuel prices worldwide.

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Turning to the Holy Land, where the Easter story is set, Dame Sarah will urge worshippers to reflect on the region’s suffering.

“This week our gaze and our prayers have been turned towards the land where Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead,” she will say.

“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.”

She will also express hope that “all people of the region receive the peace, justice and freedom they long for”.

The Archbishop will extend prayers to Christians living in the conflict zone, adding: “May our Christian sisters and brothers know and celebrate the hope of the empty tomb.”

Dame Sarah will also address those facing personal hardship, drawing parallels between global conflict and individual suffering.

“Perhaps you are here today standing in your own version of the dark, perhaps with your own heart shattered,” she will say.

“If you have been knocked off course by illness, bereavement, unemployment or any other human crisis I pray you know that God walks with you through that darkness.”

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She will pay tribute to caregivers across the country, highlighting acts of quiet compassion.

“Last night, in hospitals around the country, nurses tended to those who struggled to sleep,” she will say.

“In hospices, carers and loved ones will have held someone's hand, letting them know they are not alone.”

Dame Sarah, a former chief nursing officer for England, was enthroned last month as the first woman to serve as Archbishop of Canterbury.

While she leads the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion, the King remains its formal head.

Her message comes as the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales also reflected on global conflict in his Easter address.

Archbishop of Westminster Richard Moth described humanity as “scarred by warfare” during his sermon at Westminster Cathedral.

“In our present times the world is so often confusing and conflicted,” he said.

“Humanity is marked, scarred, by warfare and injustice… bringing harm and death to so many, and so often the most vulnerable.”

He urged the faithful to spread “the irresistible light… and peace of the Risen Lord across our communities and beyond”.