Holy Sepulcher Church in Jerusalem to Open Again on Sunday

Arab World

May 23rd, 10:47am

Asharq Al-Awsat

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem will open on Sunday. (AFP)

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem will open on Sunday for the first time in two months. It is built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Leaders of the three denominations sharing the site said in a statement Saturday that entrance will be limited to 50 people at a time. Worshippers cannot enter if they have symptoms and must wear face masks and should keep a distance of 2 meters. They should also avoid touching or kissing stones and other objects at the holy site. The church was closed in March along with most other sites in the Holy Land, in keeping with strict measures imposed by the Palestinian Authority and Israel to contain the outbreak. It remained closed throughout the Easter last month, when Jerusalem’s Old City is normally packed with tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists. Priests observed Easter rituals in small groups, mostly behind closed doors.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2298551/holy-sepulcher-church-jerusalem-open-again-sunday