Jerusalem Archives

Church of the Holy Sepulcher set to re-open on Sunday

May 23, 2020

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem will open on Sunday for the first time in two months.

East Jerusalem Catholic hospital gets coronavirus unit for Palestinians

Apr 23, 2020

When the Israeli Ministry of Health asked St. Joseph’s Hospital to set up a coronavirus unit, the hospital had it completed within a week.

By Judith Sudilovsky

Eastern Christians mark Easter in shuttered Jerusalem church

Apr 19, 2020

A handful of Eastern Orthodox priests held mass for the Christian holiday of Easter on Sunday in an empty Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem due to restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

By Associated Press

Lockdown weighs heavily on Orthodox Christians during Easter

Apr 17, 2020

For Orthodox Christians, this is normally a time of reflection and mourning followed by joyful release, of centuries-old ceremonies steeped in symbolism and tradition. But this year, Easter — by far the most significant religious holiday for the world’s roughly 300 million Orthodox — has essentially been cancelled.

By Elena Becatoros and Daria Litvinova

When families pray together, Jesus is there, says Jerusalem archbishop

Apr 13, 2020

Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said being unable to attend Mass in a community has made people realize how much they miss “celebrating the love that conquers every death.”

By Judith Sudilovsky

Israel tightens quarantine in Jerusalem to halt virus spread

Apr 12, 2020

The Israeli government approved a tight quarantine of several areas of Jerusalem on Sunday, including the historic Old City, in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the city’s most susceptible neighborhoods.

By Ilan Ben Zion