CHRISTIAN leaders of Jerusalem have called on governing authorities to enhance security at holy sites as Easter approaches.
“As we have all seen in recent months, escalating violence has engulfed the Holy Land,” the patriarchs and heads of local Christians in Jerusalem said in a joint statement, which cited the First Letter of Peter.
“Local Christians in particular have increasingly suffered adversities similar to the ones about which St. Peter wrote.”
Some churches, funeral processions, and public gathering venues have become “targets of attack,” lamented the group of Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant leaders.
“Some of our holy sites and cemeteries have been desecrated, and some of our ancient liturgies, such as the Palm Sunday procession and the holy fire ceremony, have been closed off to thousands of worshipers,” they added.
“This is in spite of our agreements to cooperate with the governing authorities and to accommodate any reasonable requests that they might present.”
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all consider Jerusalem a holy city, and all three religions have major religious observances in the coming weeks. Many will crowd Jerusalem’s Old City during this time.
Easter falls on April 9 for Christians who follow the Gregorian calendar, while many Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter the following Sunday.
For Jews, Passover observances will last from sunset on April 5 through April 13.
Read the article by Catholic News Agency in The Catholic Leader.