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War and restricted access to the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, have cast a solemn mood over the alleyways of Jerusalem’s Old City on Easter Sunday.
Only whispers could be heard among the faithful moving discreetly through the passages around the Old City, where hymns and processions usually dominate at Easter.
AFP reported that police at checkpoints screened a small number of worshippers allowed on the routes approaching the church, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected. The shops in the area were closed.
Some Catholics and Orthodox Christians tried to reach the church but were kept at a distance by security forces.
A Catholic from Tel Aviv who spoke with AFP described the restrictions as unacceptable.
“How can you tell me I cannot go to church? It is unacceptable,” the Catholic said.
Security has been stepped up in the Old City, located in annexed East Jerusalem and home to sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims.
The solemn mood in Jerusalem’s Old City is mainly due to the Iran–Israel war. Jerusalem has repeatedly come under fire since Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes against Iran on February 28.
Credit: Reuters
Iranian missiles sprayed shrapnel on the rooftop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, just steps from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is one of the most important sites in Christianity.
Israel imposed restrictions on large gatherings as a security precaution due to the constant threat of strikes during the ongoing Middle East war.
Cardinal Pizzaballa was prevented by Israeli police from entering the Holy Sepulchre for mass, provoking outrage, before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered that he be allowed in on Palm Sunday.
The streets of Dolorosa in Jerusalem, the ancient city where Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected, were relatively empty on Good Friday.
Most Palestinian Christians belong to the Orthodox faith, which celebrates Easter on April 12. But for many other Christians, the restrictions have stripped the Easter celebrations of substance.
“It’s very hard for all of us because it’s our holiday… It’s really hard to want to pray but to come here and find nothing. Everything is closed,” said 44-year-old Christina Toderas from Romania.
The restrictions forced her and other Christians to watch the mass at the Holy Sepulchre on television.
Father Bernard Poggi, who was preparing to attend mass in another church near the holy site, said he understood the security measures but added that “it seems to be more and more that there’s an unevenness in how the laws are put into practice”.
The celebrations were being held behind closed doors in front of a very small congregation, far removed from the crowds that usually gather inside the Holy Sepulchre.
