Bishop Hovakim: The Cross Transforms Death Into Life

Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland, celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at St Sarkis Armenian Church in London on September 13, 2026.

In his homily, From an Instrument of Death to the Tree of Life, Bishop Hovakim recalled how Christ transformed the Cross - once an instrument of humiliation and death - into the sign of salvation, victory and eternal life.

“The world used the Cross to inflict death, but Christ transformed it into the Tree of Life. ”

Reflecting on St Paul’s teaching that the message of the Cross is “the power of God,” the Bishop explained that true Christian strength is found in sacrificial love, forgiveness, humility and faithfulness.

He also highlighted the flowering Cross found on Armenian khachkars, describing it as a powerful expression of the Armenian people’s story: “wounded, but not destroyed; persecuted, but not abandoned; crucified many times, yet always looking towards the Resurrection.”

Bishop Hovakim encouraged the faithful to carry their crosses with faith, transform pain into love and become signs of hope for those who suffer.

“Good Friday was followed by Easter morning,” he concluded. “No darkness is final, and no situation is beyond the transforming grace of God.”