Christians celebrate Easter in Jerusalem

(April 13, 2009) Christians prayed at the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and sang in a garden outside the walls of Jerusalem's Old City as they marked Easter Sunday in the city where Jesus was crucified and resurrected. The city buzzed with religious activity. Orthodox Christians, who observe a different calendar, marked Palm Sunday, and thousands of Jewish worshippers celebrating the Passover festival thronged a plaza opposite the Western Wall for a traditional blessing. Brown-robed friars marched into the church of the Holy Sepulchre to the sound of bagpipes, followed by clergymen in purple capes and others bearing crosses. Pilgrims stood by, some filming with small video cameras. The scene outside the church was broadcast to believers worldwide over the Internet by the Florida-based U.S. company IPrayTV.com. The Holy Sepulcher is shared by Catholic, Orthodox and Armenian Christians, along with other confessions.