Thousands of Orthodox Christians celebrated the "Holy Fire" in Jerusalem on Saturday, but some were disappointed as Israel limited the number of worshippers for security reasons.
In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III lit candles at the "Holy Fire" in the burial chapel and passed it on to the faithful.
Before the ceremony, there were tensions about the number of participants allowed. Israel had announced that it would only allow 1,800 worshippers in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Orthodox Church representatives spoke of "unreasonable restrictions by the Israeli police."
The number of worshippers had also been restricted in previous years after a mass panic at a Jewish festival in 2021 left 45 people dead.
Security forces erected barriers in Jerusalem on Saturday. The Times of Israel newspaper reported that police had already turned away a large number of worshippers at the gates of the Old City in the morning.
The Jerusalem church was lit by a sea of candles during the traditional ceremony, which is always held on the Saturday before the Orthodox Easter begins. The fire is then flown to parishes around the world, including Russia and Ukraine.
Followers of the Eastern Orthodox Churches believe that the Holy Fire at Jesus' tomb miraculously ignites itself and represents the power of the resurrection. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre stands on the site where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified, buried and rose again.
Easter, the Jewish Passover festival and the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan fell at the same time this year. After fierce confrontations between Israeli police and Palestinians last week in Al Aqsa mosque.
