Smartphones, selfiesticks and cameras exceeded the crowd that thronged before the Holy Sepulchre on Good Friday 2015. A few hundred pilgrims and local Christians woke up at dawn to attend the solemn entry of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem guided by the Franciscans, and the opening of the Church of Resurrection’s doors that remained closed since yesterday. Some sang, others were talking, but all were eagerly waiting and ready to enter the building before the doors close again during the celebration of the Passion of Christ.
At the Calvary, the clergy and the choir of the Custody were accompanied by dozens of pilgrims, while the rest of the faithful gathered at the bottom of the stairs. However, the assembly was completely united. "It was noisy at first, until everyone found his place, but when the sung narrative of the Passion started, there was a profound silence, total, awesome" said Maëlle, a young French of the choir. Dominic, a passing through Singaporean confirms: "I was down and we could hear everything, the atmosphere was very prayerful." The Veneration of the Holy Cross on the site of the Crucifixion is the climax of this celebration. Where the cross of infamy had been planted, the relics of the cross are now a tangible sign of salvation. While the hosts, consecrated the day before, are brought in procession to the tomb at the Calvary, the enthusiasm is such that people are jostling to receive communion.
After the celebration, it was time for a low voice discussion with the neighbours while waiting for the opening of the Holy Sepulchre doors. All those Christians coming from everywhere are gathered to experience Good Friday in Jerusalem, which continues with the Cross.
The contrast is striking. Less than a week before, during the great procession of palms the crowd was joyful, dancing and singing. Today the procession in the streets of Jerusalem is also dense but rather contemplative, given that it is the opportunity for Christians to solemnly live the Via Crucis. Little is to say that the crowd hardly fit in the narrow streets of the Old City. The Israeli army and police ensuring the security service, manage somehow to be heard. Despite the mess, the rustle echoed by the centuries-old stones of Jerusalem is beautiful: dozens of different languages, all of which come together to pray the Our Father or the Hail Mary.
By late morning, two paths of the cross follow one another. The first is the one of the Franciscans followed by a small number of faithful. The second is the path of the Latin Arabic parish, guided by the scouts. In the crowd, a pilgrim commented: "It's hard to pray in this crowd! But what is important is to be present in large numbers, to walk in the footsteps of Christ". Like all the Stations of the Cross, the procession ends at the Holy Sepulchre, the place where 2000 years ago, Christ gave His life for the salvation of the world.
The same crowd will take a break. Silence settles in during the afternoon. Many of them will join tonight's impressive service for the Funeral of Christ.
At the Calvary, the clergy and the choir of the Custody were accompanied by dozens of pilgrims, while the rest of the faithful gathered at the bottom of the stairs. However, the assembly was completely united. "It was noisy at first, until everyone found his place, but when the sung narrative of the Passion started, there was a profound silence, total, awesome" said Maëlle, a young French of the choir. Dominic, a passing through Singaporean confirms: "I was down and we could hear everything, the atmosphere was very prayerful." The Veneration of the Holy Cross on the site of the Crucifixion is the climax of this celebration. Where the cross of infamy had been planted, the relics of the cross are now a tangible sign of salvation. While the hosts, consecrated the day before, are brought in procession to the tomb at the Calvary, the enthusiasm is such that people are jostling to receive communion.
After the celebration, it was time for a low voice discussion with the neighbours while waiting for the opening of the Holy Sepulchre doors. All those Christians coming from everywhere are gathered to experience Good Friday in Jerusalem, which continues with the Cross.
The contrast is striking. Less than a week before, during the great procession of palms the crowd was joyful, dancing and singing. Today the procession in the streets of Jerusalem is also dense but rather contemplative, given that it is the opportunity for Christians to solemnly live the Via Crucis. Little is to say that the crowd hardly fit in the narrow streets of the Old City. The Israeli army and police ensuring the security service, manage somehow to be heard. Despite the mess, the rustle echoed by the centuries-old stones of Jerusalem is beautiful: dozens of different languages, all of which come together to pray the Our Father or the Hail Mary.
By late morning, two paths of the cross follow one another. The first is the one of the Franciscans followed by a small number of faithful. The second is the path of the Latin Arabic parish, guided by the scouts. In the crowd, a pilgrim commented: "It's hard to pray in this crowd! But what is important is to be present in large numbers, to walk in the footsteps of Christ". Like all the Stations of the Cross, the procession ends at the Holy Sepulchre, the place where 2000 years ago, Christ gave His life for the salvation of the world.
The same crowd will take a break. Silence settles in during the afternoon. Many of them will join tonight's impressive service for the Funeral of Christ.