Pakistan: Light Over Darkness

Holy Week in Pakistan this year was set against a backdrop of the war on terror and suicide bombings. Workers at several Catholic institutions have died and many have lost their houses in recent bomb blasts. Price hikes are making it harder for the poor to meet their daily needs, and the country is experiencing major power shortages. With the country in the grip of these crises, low-profile Easter celebrations were scheduled in Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Lahore. Auxiliary Bishop Sebastian Shah asked Christians to keep their faith in God amid the warlike conditions in the country. In an article in a publication of the Lahore Archdiocese he wrote, “Let’s see how we can become a source of good news for the worried people of our times as we celebrate the feast of the glorious resurrection of Jesus in 2010.” And Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore wrote: “The feast of Easter brings us a message of hope and joy amid these difficult circumstances. In his resurrection from the dead, we celebrate the victory of light over darkness, life over death and hope over despair.”