D‍ear Friends,

Some twenty years ago, for the prayer cards of my first Mass, I chose the image of The Resurrection by Matthias Grünewald. This Easter, that powerful scene returned to mind. In it, Christ’s resurrection holds together both drama and deep joy. He stands serene, bearing his wounds, and yet he is victorious, with action and power. It is a struggle, a true clash. But the forces of violence — the night, the tombstone, the armed guards — are overcome by the radiance of his gentle face and by a pure, warm, unquenchable light. The contrast is all the more striking when we recall that this image forms part of an altarpiece portraying one of the most harrowing crucifixions in all of art.

This Easter, I had planned my annual visit to the JCEP Tertianship program in Lebanon. The journey had to be postponed. I remain hopeful that it will soon be possible, as it was after the crisis two years ago. Yet I must admit that my reflections on world peace feel heavier this time. There is a particular sense of helplessness in watching conflict give way to further conflict, amid a growing disregard for international law and for the suffering of innocent people.

Someone recently asked whether the Jesuits would issue a statement in response to these circumstances. Whether we do or not, the Second Vatican Council, the General Congregations of the Society of Jesus, and the recent Universal Apostolic Preferences all clearly and consistently affirm positions that stand for solidarity and justice, against these patterns of isolationism and political cynicism. These commitments will not change.

Grünewald’s image does not invite passive waiting, as though Christ will one day resolve everything without us. He is indeed the great light at the centre. But behind him, scattered across the dark sky, shines a multitude of stars. Those stars are each one of us. They are our small, personal resurrections — moments when the light of Easter breaks through and becomes a light for others.

The Jesuit Conference of European Provincials wishes you an Easter season filled with peace and hope!

Dalibor Renić SJ

JCEP President