The Curch of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's old city. Christians celebrated Easter at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre this year after the storied church remained closed last Easter due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over Palm Sunday Mass on March 28 at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with a small group in the church and more than 2,000 people participating in an outdoor Palm Sunday procession.
More than half the population of Israel is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and authorities have relaxed some restrictions to allow small congregations to gather for Holy Week with social distancing measures in place, Reuters reported.
The church, which houses the tomb of Christ and the site of the crucifixion, was closed for Easter 2020.
“Last year was a terrible Easter, without people, closed doors. This year is much better, the door is open, we don’t have a lot of people but we feel more hopeful that things will become better,” Archbishop Pizzaballa told Reuters.