Christians in Holy Land, Mideast celebrate Easter

April 01, 2013 - Catholics and Protestants flocked to churches to celebrate Easter on Sunday in the Holy Land and across the broader Middle East, praying, singing and rejoicing as a new Pope Francis pleaded for peace in the region. Some Mideast Christian communities are in flux, while others feel isolated from their Muslim-majority societies. In places like Iraq, they have sometimes been the victims of bloody sectarian attacks. At St. Joseph Chaldean Church in Baghdad, some 200 worshippers attended an Easter mass that Fr. Saad Sirop led behind concrete blast walls and a tight security cordon. Churches have been under tighter security since a 2010 attack killed dozens. Fatin Yousef, 49-year old Chaldean Catholic hoped new Pope Francis would help make it better for Christians in Iraq. In his first Easter message from Rome on Sunday Pope Francis pleaded for peace the Middle East, between Israelis and Palestinians, in Iraq and Syria. In Jerusalem, Catholics worshipped in the church of the Holy Sepulcher, built on a hill where tradition holds that Jesus was crucified, briefly entombed and then resurrected. The cavernous, maze-like structure is home to different churches belonging to rival sects that are crammed into different nooks and even the roof. Clergy in white and gold robes led the service held around the small chamber at the core of the church marking the site of Jesus' tomb. Many foreign visitors were among the worshippers. Protestants held Easter ceremonies outside Jerusalem's walled Old City at the Garden Tomb, a small, enclosed green area that some identify as the site of Jesus' burial. Another service was held at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Jesus' traditional birthplace. Unlike Catholics and Protestants, who follow the Gregorian calendar, Orthodox Christians will mark Easter on 5 May, according to the Julian calendar.
TOI - Bihar Christians meet chief minister for Easter
01 April, 2013 - A Christian delegation called on the Chief Minister of eastern India’s Bihar state on Sunday to wish him on the occasion of Easter. The delegation of Christian Welfare Association, led by S K Lawrence, Ambrose Patrick and Victor Anthony, met chief minister Nitish Kumar in Patna and also thanked him for restoring the holiday on Good Friday, which had earlier been cancelled. The delegation also submitted a memorandum demanding solution to the problems facing the Christian community and nomination of one Christian in the legislative council, subsidy for visiting Jerusalem and appointment of a Christian in the State Minority Commission as vice-chairman. Nitish accepted their invitation to visit Kurji Church and Padri ki Haveli on December 24. He also made it an occasion to reciprocate his wishes to Christian on the occasion of Easter. He said Christ's message was for service to humanity without any discrimination and everybody should take inspiration from it.
(Source: AP)