- Title: Holy fire arrives in Bethlehem amid coronavirus restrictions
- Date: 18th April 2020
- Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (APRIL 18, 2020) (REUTERS) PRIESTS AND OFFICIALS HOLDING OLIVE LAMP WITH HOLY FIRE WALKING INTO CHURCH PRIESTS DURING MASS ICON AT CHURCH MASS IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 2nd May 2020 14:32
- Keywords: Bethlehem Easter Health Holy Fire Jerusalem Orthodox West Bank coronavirus
- Location: BETHLEHEM AND RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- City: BETHLEHEM AND RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA002CA0OW1Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Priests in the West Bank city of Bethlehem welcomed on Saturday (April 18) Holy fire in front of the Nativity Church.
The usual yearly ceremony has been different this year without a crowd of local Palestinians and visitors due to coronavirus outbreak.
Mayor of Bethlehem and and priests carried an olive lamp lit by the Holy Fire into Nativity church.
The Holy Fire is transferred from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, Ramallah and many churches in the occupied West Bank.
The Holy Fire is considered a miracle and occurs every year on Holy Saturday, the day preceding Easter Sunday.
In Jerusalem The Holy Fire ceremony typically draws tens of thousands of pilgrims to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre that is believed to contain Jesus' tomb.
With the Old City church closed to pilgrims to halt the spread of the coronavirus, only a handful of clergy on Saturday witnessed the emerge of the flame from Jesus' tomb.
(Mohammad Abu Ganeyeh, Hamuda Hassan, Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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