Russian Orthodox Old Believers hold candles during an Easter service at a church in Moscow.Reuters
Russian Orthodox Old Believers hold candles during an Easter service at a church in Moscow.ReutersA woman looks at a candle on Orthodox Easter Day in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem and taken to Latvia, during an Orthodox Easter service in Riga.ReutersIraqi Christians attend an Easter mass at Chaldean Catholic church in Amman April 15, 2012. Thousands of Iraqi Christians fled to neighbouring Jordan following a spate of bombings that targeted churches in Iraqi cities in the past few years.ReutersA woman takes the communion from a clergyman during a mass of an Orthodox Easter at the Roman Orthodox patriarchate in Damascus.ReutersA priest gives communion to an Iraqi Christian during an Easter mass at Chaldean Catholic church in Amman.ReutersOrthodox Patriarch of Antioch and the whole East Ignatius Hazim IV attends an Orthodox Easter service at a church in Damascus.ReutersBelarussian Interior Ministry soldiers carry cakes after Orthodox Easter service at a military base near village of Okolitsa.ReutersAn Orthodox priest blesses Easter cakes during an Easter service at a military base near village of Okolitsa.ReutersWorshippers take Easter eggs from a basket as they are distributed by an Orthodox priest after a religious service in Russia's far Eastern port of Vladivostok.ReutersAn Orthodox priest distributes Easter eggs to worshippers after a religious service in Russia's far Eastern port of Vladivostok.ReutersAn Orthodox priest blesses Easter eggs after a religious service in Russia's far Eastern port of Vladivostok.ReutersOrthodox priests lead an Easter procession in Russia's far Eastern port of Vladivostok.ReutersA priest blesses worshipers during an Orthodox Easter service at Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra cathedral in Kiev.ReutersAustralian Roman Catholic Church admits of hundreds of child sex abuse cases.ReutersIraqi Christian children break the painted eggs they received during celebrations after an Easter service at Chaldean Catholic church in Amman.ReutersIraqi Christians attend an Easter mass at Chaldean Catholic church in Amman.ReutersA Syrian woman attends a mass of an Orthodox Easter at the Roman Orthodox patriarchate in Damascus.ReutersA woman lights a candle as she attends a mass of an Orthodox Easter at the Roman Orthodox patriarchate in Damascus.ReutersIraqi Christians attend an Easter mass at Chaldean Catholic church in Amman.Reuters
Thousands of Orthodox Christians gathered in Jerusalem and Bethlehem Sunday to celebrate Easter or the Holy Pascha.
This year it is celebrated a week after Easter in the western churches and is calculated according to the Julian calendar.
The Orthodox believe Pascha to be the most ancient and vivid celebration of Christianity, with the services similar to the one held at the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem since the third century.
On the eve of Orthodox Easter, Christians gather in Jerusalem's ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the Holy Fire ceremony. They believe that the fire is sent from heaven to ignite candles held by the Greek Orthodox patriarch.
The centuries-old annual rite symbolises the resurrection of Jesus.
On Easter Sunday, familes and friends gather to celebrate Christ's victory over death. They begin their day by greeting a friend or relative by saying "Christos Aneste" meaning Christ has risen and the reply would be "Alethos Aneste" meaning "It is true, He has Risen." The family will break the fast and celebrate with flowers.
But this year Israel imposed restrictions on Christians celebrating Easter in Jerusalem.
"This past week has been a week of pain. As we prepare to celebrate Easter, we have witnessed the Israeli authorities restricting the movement of the population; closing Jerusalem's doors; and preventing movement, particularly to and from Jaffa Gate, where patriarchates and churches are located," Archbishop Atallah Hanna told the International Middle East Media Centre.
"Visitors to the Holy City during this sacred season, including local Christians celebrating their feasts, suffer due to these actions. The Israeli restrictions prevent many people from having access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and restrict the freedom of movement of Christian devotees - including clerics of all levels and ranks," he added.
