Editorial: Prayers and concerns at Easter-time for Christians who are opressed abroad

​Easter is the key date in the Christian calendar. ​It marks the horrifying crucifixion of Jesus Christ but above all his resurrection.

Thus, while Palm Sunday – when Jesus entered Jerusalem – begins a reflection on the terrible betrayal of Christ leading to him being put to death in gruesome circumstances. But this weekend remembers his triumph over that ordeal.

Therefore, you could say that Easter is a symbol of new beginning and great hope. It is also, in the northern hemisphere, remembered at a time of seasonal hope, as we emerge from the bleakness of winter. The birth of Jesus, at Christmastime, is itself marked just after we pass the darkest point on the calendar, at the very beginnings of seasonal renewal.

Easter will be celebrated at dawn services across Northern Ireland tomorrow.

Christianity seemed to be in declined in the late 20th century, and even more so early in this 21st, with the rise of emphatic advocates of atheism, and declines in church attendance. This is true even in the province, which is the most religious of the main regions of the UK, more akin in its churchgoing levels to parts of the United States.

Yet Christianity is in fact rising in many parts of the world. It might even be undergoing something of a revival in America, and even among young people in England. The reasons for this are unclear and include an increasing cultural defence of traditional western values. But people of the Christian faith will believe that it is the resilience of the Christian message.

As we report, Northern Ireland politicians and clergy are thinking of those Christians around the world who do not have freedom to worship, and who in some places live in fear. As believers give thanks to God this weekend, it is timely also to remember Christians who are oppressed.