- Nyaperah reiterated that there is “a better way to live and indeed a better way to resolve conflicts.”
- “The world should embrace those most affected by the senseless tragedy of war.”
Image: HANDOUT
The Legio Maria Church has urged Kenyans to celebrate Easter holiday by embracing reconciliation.
Bishop Wycliffe Nyaperah noted that this year’s celebration will be marked amid world conflicts that have caused many deaths of innocent human lives.
“Easter is about reconciliation. I am happy my country Kenya has healed from the effects of the contested 2022 elections and things are back to normal. A time like this last year, our nation was divided, but today our nation is with a common goal of peace and prosperity,” he stated.
He however pointed out that other regions of the world have faced armed conflicts.
“These events have shaken us to the core. Humanity has suffered a severe blow,” he said.
Nyaperah reiterated that there is “a better way to live and indeed a better way to resolve conflicts.”
He said the world is desperate for reconciliation in the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Hamas war that have claimed so many lives.
According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, at least 32,623 Palestinians have been killed and 75,092 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7.
The death toll in Israel from Hamas's October 7 attack stands at 1,139 with dozens still held captive.
A staggering 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza, 1.9 million civilians, have been forcibly displaced amid Israel's military operations, according to the United Nations.
The UN noted that at least 10,000 civilians, including more than 560 children, have been killed and over 18,500 have been injured since Russia launched a full-scale armed attack against Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
In February 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky said 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed during Russia's full-scale invasion.
The Ukrainian president said he would not give the number of wounded as that would help Russian military planning.
In his Easter message, Nyaperah said the world should embrace those most affected by the senseless tragedy of war: the children robbed of their future, those who grieve and mourn.
“The greatest virtue for mankind is peace. I am therefore calling upon all God-fearing nations to stop wars and embrace peace. The world is a very beautiful place to live when there’s peace,” he stressed.
He added that domestic conflicts, violence, and homicide cases should also come to an end. “In any disagreement, let us give peace a chance,” he urged.