Easter message: Bosnia bishops call for return to foundations of true peace in times of turmoil

Since 2024, the bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina have issued joint messages for Christmas and Easter, with this year’s first message on Saturday in Sarajevo delivered on their behalf by the Archbishop of Sarajevo, Tomo Vuksic.

The dignitaries remind the faithful that Easter gathers people in the belief that Jesus Christ, crucified and buried, has risen from the dead. In this, humanity finds hope, for in Christ’s resurrection God confirms that death does not have the final word over humankind.

“Easter is God’s answer to the darkness of Good Friday. Where it seemed all was lost, a light has shone that can never be extinguished, the light of life from God, opening a new future for humanity and the world,” the message states, emphasising that Christ’s peace is not merely the absence of conflict or a temporary balance of power, but a profound peace of the heart reconciled with God -- a peace that heals wounds and overcomes fear.

Such peace, grounded in the triumph of love over sin, becomes the strength of new life and the only firm foundation for true hope.

Therefore, in times marked by tension, conflict, uncertainty, and divisions, the Easter message calls on believers to return to the source of true peace and step beyond fear, insecurity, and disappointment.

“There is no darkness so deep that God’s light cannot illuminate it, nor any wound that His mercy cannot heal. That is why Easter remains a lasting foundation of our hope and the strength that guides us through all the challenges of our time,” the Bishops affirm.

They note that where the Gospel is adhered to, Christ’s peace becomes a real force transforming human relationships and opening the path to new hope -- a message of particular significance for Bosnia and Herzegovina, given its troubled history and the simultaneous, urgent need for peace, justice, and mutual trust.

Christ’s peace is not a sign of weakness or escape from reality, but a power capable of transforming human hearts. It is a peace that does not remain silent in the face of injustice but heals it through forgiveness, breaking down walls of alienation and uniting all into one human family, they write.

"This peace teaches us to see in others not opponents or strangers, but brothers and sisters sharing the same human journey and the same dignity as children of God. It encourages the renewal of trust, strengthens solidarity, and nurtures hope that a just and humane world is possible. Thus, Easter continually calls us to be people of Easter hope -- those who believe that good will prevail and are ready to confirm that faith through acts of love and reconciliation,” the Catholic bishops conclude.