Candles in hand, pilgrims eagerly flock to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, built on the site where Jesus was buried and crucified before his resurrection according to Christian tradition.
The Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher is in East Jerusalem, in the Old City, occupied and annexed by Israel.
Thousands lined the forecourt outside the basilica and nearby streets to receive the flame, which symbolizes Christ’s resurrection, AFP journalists found.
Restrictions
While tens of thousands of people usually attend the ceremony, Israeli police on Wednesday announced restrictions on the number of worshipers who can enter the church’s interior, limiting it to 1,800.
Police say the restrictions were imposed to provide security after many died in stampedes during the 2021 Jewish pilgrimage to Israel.
They were immediately described as “authoritarian” and “excessive” by the Greek Orthodox Church.
“We understand the religious sentiments of people who want to participate in the ceremony… but unfortunately not everyone can enter the church for security reasons,” said a Jerusalem District Police official. Old city.
During the ceremony, the most important moment in Eastern Christianity, the priests miraculously receive the holy fire into the tomb of Jesus and then pass it from candle to candle and then to the faithful gathered in the church. Another flame is to be flown to Orthodox churches abroad.
Christians represented more than 18% of the population of the Holy Land when the State of Israel was created in 1948. They are now less than 2%, mostly Orthodox.