(RNS) — By any measure, the Holy Week in Jerusalem was eerily quiet as a result of restrictions imposed by Israel against large gatherings due to the U.S.-Israel war in Iran.
On Palm Sunday, the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, was barred by Israeli police from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the church where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. And on Easter Sunday (April 5), the cardinal and other Catholic leaders performed Easter rites to empty pews at the Holy Sepulchre, which remained closed to the public. Holy Thursday and Good Friday celebrations were also held without the public.
As Orthodox Christians prepare to celebrate Pascha, the Orthodox Easter, on Sunday (April 12), Palestinian Christian communities are concerned about how Israel’s control over Jerusalem’s sacred sites and restrictions on Palestinians’ ability to leave the West Bank will impact their ability to live out their faith.
“It’s such an important event in the life of the community. It’s degrading our ability to live our Christian life and to provide a Christian witness,” said Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos, a Russian Orthodox nun involved in Holy Land ministries since the 1990s.
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The traditional Palm Sunday procession of thousands of Christians who march from Beit Fajr near Bethlehem to the church was canceled for the first time in years due to the church’s closure and Palestinian Christians’ difficulties in reaching Jerusalem. The procession, …