On a Friday afternoon, Christians in Jerusalem’s Old City historically do not forget the moment of Jesus’ death. Normally, Easter and Jewish Passover, local and foreign visitors flock to the Old City, but nothing is general this year.
Like other holy places, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is located in the midst of the Celebrations of Easter, is closed to the public. Most department stores along the alleys of the old city have closed their iron doors with the exception of some a bakery near Damascus Gate where others wait their turn. At a nearby vegetable stall, locals shop a little faster than usual.
‘Just nobody around’
“We’ve gotten used to getting so many pilgrims for at least 2,000 years,” Aghazarian explains via Skype from the Armenian-Christian quarter, “but this year will be difficult, we might not see visitors. “
Easter in Jerusalem is regularly one of the busiest moments with all the other Christian communities that organize their processions and ceremonies. Here, Easter is celebrated twice: through Catholics and through the Orthodox community, each according to their calendar. But now the Via Dolorosa, the path of the cross that thousands of faithful walk regularly, some with wooden crosses, following the trail of Jesus, is strangely silent.
Most of the processions were cancelled and the holy closure, so it is an Easter in Jerusalem.
Special prayers to repel the virus.
Israel’s interim government has gradually tightened restrictions to stop the spread of the virus and banned meetings of more than 10 people. Residents will only have to leave their homes within a hundred meters or purchase essential items. Christian (and Islamic) leaders have followed these emergency regulations.
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“This year, in short, there are cancellations, postponements and changes: it will be an Easter week with the highest live broadcast to date,” said Wadie Abunassar, media adviser to the Catholic bishops of Jerusalem. “There will be no public processions,” especially not along the Via Dolorosa on Good Friday. It’s to protect other people. “
It turns out that the classic Good Friday procession of the Franciscan order takes place, albeit in a reduced way; the Palm Sunday procession, which means the start of Easter, has been cancelled; instead, Latin Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa performed a special prayer. mount of Olives to repel the pandemic and bless Jerusalem and the world.
Closure of the Nativity and the Holy Sepulchre
During the night of the Seder, at the beginning of the Jewish Passover, Israel imposed a brief curfew and a ban among cities to inspire others to stay in the house and celebrate only with their families. At Easter, when families meet and stop often, others were inspired to interrupt the celebrations.
Families will want to use the fashion generation to stay in touch with those enjoyed this Easter.
“This year, unfortunately, we will have to stay home. We will call our enjoyments over the Internet or a smartphone,” said Arsen Aghazarian, a young Armenian Christian. You will be missing the church of the Holy Sepulchre, you add. The church, which was built on the site where Christian culture dictates that Jesus crucified, buried and was resurrected, closed his wooden door two weeks ago, at most other churches in the old town.
As for Orthodox Passover, the classic rite of the “Holy Fire” will be held, but only a limited number of devoted leaders and clerics from other communities will be invited. Most ceremonies are expected to be broadcast live for others to stay at home.
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Most Palestinian Christians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip will have to attend Easter Mass from home. Usually around Easter, many hope to download an Israeli permit to participate in the celebrations and make a stopover with their relatives in Jerusalem. you’re thinking about ing. In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority implemented strict measures to prevent the continued spread of coronavirus at a time after the first cases were reported in Bethlehem in early March. Since then, the city has been closed and the Church of the Nativity has been closed. their doors to the scalers.
There will be no queue for others waiting to be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, a position that has been largely closed in Israel for more than a decade: “It will be an unhappy Easter,” says Lama Qattan by phone from Gaza. City. ” We are used to complicated situations, we have had 3 wars, but this [the pandemic] is scary. We can’t even make a stopover in the circle of close family and friends. “
Concern in Gaza
Densely populated with a brittle fitness care system: Gazans suggested staying home
The public is heavily involved in a larger COVID-19 outbreak in Gaza. In the densely populated area, maintaining social distance is nearly impossible, and the long-suffering fitness formula could not cope with such a pandemic. in force did not impose a complete lockdown, other people were asked to stay home. Mosques and churches have been closed.
Read more: Coronavirus: Gaza faces worst-case scenario
Lama, who belongs to Gaza’s small Roman Catholic community, leaves her home.
“In times of crisis, we make a stop or stop to pray in the church, but that’s not imaginable right now,” he says. Instead, she calls her family circle to stay in touch and helps keep her two children busy. coloring Easter eggs. ” We can only celebrate when this nightmare is over. Until then, we pray to God. “
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