Hari Raya Message (March 2026)

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

On behalf of the Catholic community in Singapore, we extend our warmest and most heartfelt greetings as you celebrate the joyful culmination of Ramadan. Your discipline, devotion, and faith — expressed through almsgiving, fasting, and prayer — are always an inspiration to us, especially as we continue our own holy season of Lent, drawing closer to God in similar ways.

Even as we journey towards Easter, our hearts and prayers remain with our Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle East who are marking Eid amid tension, conflict, and uncertainty.

Here in Singapore, the theme of the Geylang Serai Hari Raya Light-Up — We Celebrate Together — beautifully captures the spirit of our shared joy. Yet when the festivities conclude, we must continue to pray for peace and to do good together, lighting up our city and our troubled world with our fraternity and friendship.

In November 2025, Pope Leo XIV, speaking to civil and diplomatic authorities in Lebanon, identified three characteristics of true peacemakers: they speak the language of hope, recognising that diverse communities are united by a shared longing for peace; they embrace a culture of reconciliation, choosing to live, work, and build a common future side by side; and they persevere, tirelessly working together to build a civilisation of love.

In our own diverse nation, we must do the same — dismantling echo chambers and building safe spaces where mutual respect, understanding, and fraternal love can take root and flourish.

Our sacred Scriptures give us courage and hope for this mission:

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12), for “with God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

“O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:153), and “Indeed, with hardship will be ease” (Surah Ash-Sharh 94:5-6).

God is greater than the division, darkness, and death that shadow our world. Let us place our faith, hope, and trust in Him.

To our Muslim brothers and sisters in Singapore and beyond: Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri! May this blessed day bring you deep peace, abundant joy, and renewed certainty that God is faithful to His promises.

✠ H. Em. William Cardinal Goh

Archbishop of Singapore

Msgr Peter Zhang, CDD

Vicar-General

(Interreligious and Ecumenical Relations)

14 March 2026