CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE

Israel says it wants to prevent another disaster after a crowd stampede at a packed Jewish holy site last year left 45 people dead. This year major Jewish, Christian and Muslim holidays have converged against a backdrop of renewed Israeli-Palestinian violence. If something were to happen at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, “we would have to take responsibility for that, and we want to avoid any problem,” she said. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, like Al-Aqsa, is governed by a decades-old set of informal arrangements known as the status quo. Christian leaders denounced the move, accusing them of trying to change the religious character of Jerusalem's Christian Quarter.

Christians are celebrating the “Holy Fire” ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

Christians have celebrated their “Holy Fire” ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Christians celebrated their “Holy Fire” ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Saturday against a backdrop of rising tensions with Israel, which imposed new restrictions on attendance this year that it said were needed for safety. Israel says it wants to prevent another disaster after a crowd stampede at a packed Jewish holy site last year left 45 people dead. Christian leaders say there's no need to alter a ceremony that has been held for centuries.

Israel Palestinians Easter Orthodox Christian clergy marks Palm Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a place where Christians believe Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected, in Jerusalem, Sunday, April 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) (Oded Balilty)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Christian worshipers gathered in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Seplucher, the traditional site of Jesus's crucifixion, burial and resurrection, on Sunday to observe the Easter holiday. Tens of thousands have come to Jerusalem for the holidays now that most coronavirus restrictions have been lifted. Sunday is Easter in the Western Christian calendar, and is Palm Sunday for Eastern Orthodox Christians. This year the holiday coincides with the Jewish holiday of Passover and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan for the first time in over three decades.

Christian worshipers gathered in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Seplucher, the traditional site of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection, to observe the Easter holiday.

Many Christians around the world flock to Jerusalem each Easter to try and relive firsthand the events written about in the Bible on what is the most important week and day on the Christian calendar.

The Church of the Holy Trinity will close after six decades, but its service to the area will continue through the community foundation.

The walls of Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre are etched with thousands of small crosses, but who made them remains an open question. Archaeologist Amit Re'em analyzed thousands of etchings with new digital technology to try to solve the mystery. Ian Lee reports.

Christianity’s most joyous feast day is being celebrated worldwide with worshippers spaced apart in pews and singing choruses of “Hallelujah” through face coverings for the second Easter Sunday in a row.

For a second year, Christians in the Holy Land are marking Good Friday without the mass pilgrimages usually seen in the Holy Week leading up to Easter because of the coronavirus.