Bishop of Coventry’s Easter Message: City has another ‘war’ and will ‘see it through’ - The Coventry Observer

Bishop of Coventry’s Easter Message: City has another ‘war’ and will ‘see it through’

Coventry Editorial 6th Apr, 2020 Updated: 6th Apr, 2020   0

THE Bishop of Coventry has issued his Easter 2020 Message, saying Coventry is living through another war but will see through the Coronavirus crisis.

The Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth said in his message; “We’re living through another world war. Previous world wars divided humanity. We killed each other. This war is uniting humanity in a common fight to preserve life, especially the lives of the most vulnerable.

“Easter is the festival of life. It’s the celebration of Jesus defeating death, rising from the tomb. It’s the feast of victory in the power of God’s life to bring life to us in every situation we face.

“For 2000 years the resurrection of Jesus from the dead has sustained people in faith and hope even in the darkest times. “Coventry and Warwickshire, England and the rest of the UK, the world and all humanity have faced great challenges over the centuries. But the reality of Easter remains – that life is stronger than death and that even now, especially now, God is with us and will see us through.




“And if we need a sign of God’s presence with us, we need look no further than our health workers and others on the front-line as they pour themselves out in care and love for all humanity. In them – and in each of us when we truly help each other – we see the power of God at work among us.

“It is the power that raised Jesus from the dead – the power of love and life that prevails.”


Coventry Cathedral added: It is now almost two weeks since the Cathedral closed its doors and shutdown the whole precinct area to worshippers and visitors. This was a huge decision for the Cathedral leadership, but it was in line with national guidelines for all places of worship. The pandemic is transforming all our lives in unimaginable ways. One way is that all the Cathedral services are now live streamed on social media from the clergy homes – and thousands more are being reached as a result.

“The Cathedral shares with many City businesses the harsh economic reality of life in shut down, with income streams devastated and many staff asked to remain at home on furlough. However, the services now streamed every day at 9.15 am and 12 noon, including the world famous Coventry Litany prayers for reconciliation and healing, are reaching huge new audiences. “

The Dean of Coventry the Very Reverend John Witcombe points out, “At the Cathedral we have a proud heritage of persisting in the face of adversity and we will remain a beacon of hope and inspiration for all, especially for those who may feel despair or emptiness over the coming months due to social distancing and isolation from their loved ones. We are finding new and innovative ways of supporting people near and far through this pandemic, and finding that we are growing our congregation as a result.

“When normal Cathedral life is resumed, it will be possible to enact exciting plans for the future, including resuming work on the new visitor facilities in preparation for 2021 – which will be all the more important as we look forward to welcoming people to celebrate the return to more normal ways of life.”

“Meanwhile, we continue to be hugely grateful for all the goodwill and support we receive from Coventry residents in what are testing times for all of us. Let’s hope that people and families are all brought closer together as a result of this unwanted virus.”

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