Archbishop Prays for Middle East Peace in First Easter Sermon

Published: 05 April 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, will call for an end to violence in the Middle East during her first Easter sermon as leader of the Church of England. Speaking at Canterbury Cathedral, she will pray “with renewed urgency” for peace as the US-Israel war against Iran enters its sixth week.

In her sermon, Dame Sarah will ask that all people in the Middle East and Gulf region “receive the peace, justice and freedom they long for,” highlighting the human toll of the ongoing conflict. Thousands have reportedly died since the fighting began on 28 February, when US and Israeli strikes on Iran prompted retaliatory attacks by Iran and its allies across the Gulf.

Preaching on St John’s Gospel, the archbishop will reflect on Jesus Christ’s resurrection and Mary’s vigil at his tomb, urging the congregation to consider their own struggles and darkness, such as illness or bereavement. “I pray you know that God walks with you through that darkness,” she said. She will also honour caregivers and loved ones who provide support in hospitals and hospices, describing their work as a “vigil of care.”

Her Easter sermon follows shortly after her installation as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in late March. During the ceremony, Dame Sarah prayed for peace and justice in all conflict zones and acknowledged the ongoing Middle East war prevented some church members from attending. She succeeds Justin Welby, who resigned in 2024 amid criticism over his handling of an abuse case.

As archbishop, Dame Sarah faces the challenge of leading a global church amid debates over sexuality, female leadership, and other theological divisions, with some traditionalists opposing women serving as priests. Nevertheless, her Easter message emphasises hope, peace, and the pursuit of justice, both within the Church and across war-affected regions of the world.

Related News:

Royal Mail Blames Poor Weather and Sickness for Delayed Deliveries Undercover officer deceived women with ‘grotesque and cruel’ lies, spycops inquiry told UK Banks Maintain £100 Contactless Limit Despite FCA Rule Change Rising Costs Force Families to Rethink Days Out Peterborough Mosques Tighten Security After Attack Reeves Faces Setback as Labour May Miss Homes Target Kate Winslet to Narrate Film Highlighting King’s Environmental Mission Trump’s UK Ambassador Urges North Sea Drilling to Strengthen US Ties French Taxi Driver Cleared in David Lammy Theft Case After Fare Dispute UK Bans Fake Numbers: Scammers Lose Their Trick M&S Profits More Than Halve After Cyber-Attack Kent village told to remove flags before Christmas lights go up Patients to Test Health at Home to Ease NHS Winter Pressure Palace May Restore Hyphen to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s Name Millionaires group urge Reeves to introduce wealth tax to ‘lift kids out of poverty’ Shouting Works Best to Deter Gulls, UK Study Finds Reeves rejects £1bn plea for NHS redundancy payouts Northern Lights may illuminate UK skies this week PM Condemns Leaks, Vows Loyalty to Ministers and Stability Major Rent Reform Ends No-Fault Evictions in England Criminal Gangs Pose as Truckers to Hijack UK Supply Chains Stroke Patient Mistaken for Drunk, Care Delayed Inside the Helpline Protecting Missing Children in the UK Boots Showstopper Beauty Bundle Outshines Many Advent Calendars This Holiday Season PlayStation PS5 Deals Hit Lowest Prices Ahead of Black Friday Five-Year-Old Dies After Rare Tonsil Surgery Complication Starmer Says Labour’s Economic Plan Needs Years to Deliver UK unemployment rises to four-year high of 5.1% before budget Wiltshire Police Use Lasso to Catch Rampaging Village Goat Children to Receive Home Vaccines as England Acts Cambridge College Faces Backlash Over Private School Recruitment Celebrity Campaign Highlights SMA Screening Failures Bereaved Fathers Gain New Paternity Leave Rights in UK Woman Jailed for Life After Killing E-Bike Rider in Tragic Mistaken Identity Case UK Ministers Drop Foreign Student Targets for Global Education Push No Gas Boiler Ban as UK Warm Homes Plan Backs Heat Pumps Shinzo Abe’s killer receives life sentence in Japan Police response times face strict new national limits Devon hosts first high-density hydro power system Pornhub blocks new UK users over age checks dispute UK New Car Discounts Near £6,000 as Prices Are Slashed Pneumonia Surge Pushes England Emergency Cases Higher Labour Utterly Humiliated by Straight-Talking Mum Who Cut Through Keir Starmer’s Insanity Send spending gap leaves deprived areas behind Renters Furious as Decent Homes Standard Delayed Until 2035 Motorists Could Face ‘Mandatory’ Driving Ban for Road Offences Under Tougher Laws Farage to Name Jenrick as Reform Chancellor Pick Snow and Rain Warnings as Cold Snap Continues in the UK Civil Service Pay: Union Urges Ministers to End ‘Barking Mad’ Limits Antonia Romeo appointment sparks criticism Farage Chagos Islands Row Sparks Fury UK Job Vacancies Hit Five-Year Pandemic Low UK Youth Unemployment Surges Amid Tax Changes Reform UK targets workers’ rights repeal Half of Britons Avoid GP When Ill, Survey Reveals Growing Concern Strong Rebound for UK Housing Market Sees 6% More Homes Russian Trade Routed Through British Islands Exposed Mandelson Arrest: Met Apologises to Hoyle Rolling Hills and Heritage: A Car-Free Break in Leicestershire Switching Energy Deal Can Save £200 as Price Cap Falls Mother Says ‘I Hugged My Daughter’s Killer’ as They Cried Together in Prison Insulin Evidence in Letby Trial Under Scrutiny After Expert’s GMC Probe Emerges Trump rebukes Starmer over Iran strikes Calls Grow to Remove Billboard Following Lyra McKee Graffiti Gen Z Binge Drinking Surges in Early 20s BBC Charter Reform Sparks Independence Battle Thousands Protest Iran Strikes Outside US Embassy London UK Oil and Gas Supplies Reassured Amid Middle East Concerns Father Dies by Suicide Weeks After Wedding in Clitheroe ‘We can’t go back’: mother of six-year-old cancer survivor fears UK visa changes Teen Wins Payout After TRNSMT Crush Horror Palantir NHS Contract Sparks Fears Over Data Power ‘Heating Oil Suppliers Are Holding Us to Ransom’ as Prices and Cancellations Surge Charity Watchdog Takes Control of Learning Disability Care Home Australia Imposes Sudden Travel Ban on Iranian Visitors US Lawmaker Demands Testimony Over Sarah Ferguson’s ‘Close Epstein Ties’ Keir Starmer Vows Strong Action Against Online Tech Giants Woman Deported from China Over Manx Passport Mix-Up ‘My Hatred of Dogs is Ruining My Love Life’ MP Outrage Grows as Travelodge Boss Misses Key Safety Talk