This week, Jerusalem achieved an Easter miracle: the rebirth of religious gatherings, thanks to an aggressive implementation of vaccinations that led to a sharp decline in COVID cases.
Thousands of people filled the streets on Good Friday in the Christian quarter of the Old City for the procession of the Way of the Cross, where the faithful walk the last steps of Jesus before his crucifixion.
Masks were seen masked shoulder to shoulder as the men dragged a retort across the narrow corridors.
“We feel more hopeful that things will get better,” said Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, apostolic administrator. “The message of Easter is life and love, despite all the signs of death, crown, pandemic, anything, we believe in the power of love and life.”
Easter church services were canceled last year in Jerusalem and many parts of the world at the start of the pandemic.
Some sense of normalcy has resumed in Israel, where more than half of the population has been vaccinated.
However, there are capacity restrictions for Easter services indoors, masks are needed and foreigners still need a special permit to enter the country, hindering tourism.
“It still doesn’t seem normal,” said Hagop Karakashian, owner of a famous Old Town pottery shop. “The locals can celebrate, yes. But something is still missing.
With mail cables