Thousands of Christian Palestinians and pilgrims celebrated the Holy Fire event at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Saturday with processions, chanting, and ululations, the first since Israel put additional limitations on attendance.
Israeli authorities wanted to limit attendance to 1,700 worshippers, citing public safety concerns, a move that church leaders criticised as an infringement of the right to freedom of worship. After that, it was raised to 4,000.
In past years, almost ten thousand people attended the enigmatic millennium-old rite, which commemorates Jesus’ resurrection.
After hours of waiting, Jerusalem’s Greek Orthodox patriarch entered the tomb where Christians believe Jesus was laid to rest and emerged with a lit candle – without the use of matches.
The light spread quickly across the darkened church, which Christians regard as the place of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. As a smoky cloud engulfed the churches, the bells competed with cheers from the throng.
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