The Easter of the Archbishop of Tehran: “Even though I am far from you, I know that in Christ, we are truly united”

by Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, OFM Conv*

Rome (Agenzia Fides) – I wish to share with you my Easter experience this year, marked by the perception of the relativity of distance, between closeness and remoteness.

I find myself far from you, the flock entrusted to me, separated by the events of war, waiting to be able to see you again. And yet, during the holy night, I celebrated the Easter Vigil carrying you all in my heart: far from my flock, but precisely for this reason, in a mysterious way, close to each one of you.

I found myself celebrating, so to speak, under the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, under the sign of the universal Church, in visible communion with the Successor of Peter and with all Catholicism. Near the Shepherd of the Church, and yet far from the flock the Lord has entrusted to me. But it is precisely this condition that has been given to me so that I may learn to live with distance not as an insurmountable separation, but as a bridge that draws us closer in Christ.

In the communion of saints and in the grace of the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist, we are truly united, even when we cannot be so visibly. What appears to the eye as distance becomes communion in faith.

We celebrate the Easter Vigil after sunset on Saturday, the moment when, according to biblical tradition, the new day begins: a boundary between night and light. It is a night illuminated by reflected light, like that of the moon, which evokes the Virgin Mary. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, it points back to the source of all life: her Son, Jesus Christ, true God and true man.

The Gospel according to Saint Matthew leads us to the dawn of the first day of the week. The women go to the tomb where the Lord's body had been laid. The men had done what was in their power by giving him a burial; the women bring what comes from the heart: compassion, faithfulness, a love that perseveres even in the face of death.

And then there was a great earthquake. A startling sign that shakes the earth and hearts, that breaks the shackles of grief and opens the way to God's revelation. An angel of the Lord descends from heaven, rolls away the stone, and stands on it: what seemed definitively sealed is opened by divine power. The guards, charged with watching over death, themselves remain as if dead.

The angel announces: “Do not be afraid! I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here. He has risen… He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” And he seals this announcement: “Behold, I have told you.” This is the fulfillment of hope: what was awaited as the ultimate event is manifested in history. As Martha of Bethany said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

This “future” resurrection must be considered in connection with the mystery already present: the resurrection that works in the life of the believer through grace. In the risen Christ, new life has already begun, even if it is still undergoing trials.

The women, leaving the tomb in haste—a reminder of death and darkness—pass from night to day. They run with fear and great joy: it is no longer a paralyzing fear, but a holy fear that opens them to faith. This is the attitude of new life.

And even before reaching the disciples, it is Jesus himself who comes to meet them. With these words, “Greetings!” He makes himself present, alive, and real. They approach, kiss his feet, and adore him: a concrete gesture that testifies to the reality of the Resurrection and establishes the faith of the Church. The Crucified One is the Risen One: He who seemed distant reveals himself to be very near, accessible in faith and in the sacramental signs.

He, conqueror of death, takes the initiative and sends: “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee: there they will see me.” Galilee is the place of beginnings, of the call, of concrete life: it is there that the Risen One awaits his followers.

My dearest friends, for us too, there is a “Galilee”: it will be the day when, God willing, we can be together again. But even now, under this dome that recalls the unity of the Church, and while I am far from you, I know that, in Christ, we are truly united.

In Christ, living and risen, closeness and distance are transfigured. Only He remains, uniting us, protecting us, and guiding us, until we can be gathered again as one flock under one Shepherd. (Agenzia Fides, 6/4/2026)

* Archbishop of Tehran-Ispahan

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