Holy Fire lit in near-empty Jerusalem

Holy Fire lit in near-empty Jerusalem

The Holy Fire ceremony symbolising Jesus' resurrection was lit in a deserted Jerusalem on Saturday, without the joyful throng of Orthodox Christian pilgrims who normally attend a spectacle that brings the Easter season to a colourful climax.

Olivia Chan reports

The Holy Fire ceremony, symbolizing Jesus' resurrection, took place in a deserted Jerusalem on Saturday (April 18).

There was no crowd of Orthodox Christian pilgrims, and no colorful production to mark the Easter season.

Last year's ceremony was filled with thousands of worshippers holding up lit candles around the crypt where Christians believe Jesus was buried two thousand years ago.

It’s a different story this year as the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem carried the flame followed only by a handful of clergy, some wearing face masks.

But as the fire passed through the Christian Quarter of the Old City, worshippers who had been unable to attend the ceremony crowded into the back streets to receive it, ignoring restrictions as they chanted, banged drums, waved crucifixes and climbed on each others' shoulders.

The Holy Fire is considered a mysterious act that occurs every year on Holy Saturday.

Sunbeams pierce through a skylight in the church's dome -- and are believed by worshippers to ignite a flame deep inside the crypt.

The Patriarch then lights a candle with the Holy Fire and disperses it to the faithful.