The Latin Christmas Easter was celebrated in Jerusalem this week in a subdued and melancholy way.
As with all religious holidays since October, the shadow of the horrors being inflicted next door in Gaza hung heavy over the ceremonies. The mood and the events were not vibrant, festive, or hopeful as usual. Crowds were thinner than usual as well, given that Israel imposed tighter restrictions this year for those trying to enter the city with Palestinian Authority ID cards from the West Bank, and those who might have come from Gaza being trapped in a war zone there. The police were out in full force, and additional flying checkpoints were erected that blocked access to the church. Even Palestinians living in Jerusalem itself had challenges to reach the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City, with unpredictable checkpoint opening times and additional flying checkpoints placed throughout the city.
On the morning of Saturday, March 30, the Easter Vigil took place, presided over by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, in front of the stone believed to cover Jesus’s tomb in the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. It was the culmination of three days of prayer. He lit the Easter Candle along with the row of lamps burning in front of the edicule itself, and then there were readings, ringing of Easter bells, and the Alleluia chant. In his homily, the cardinal said:
