Thousands celebrate Easter in Holy Land

April 21, 2014 - Thousands of pilgrims from around the world celebrated Easter in the Holy Land, commemorating the day when according to Christian tradition Jesus was resurrected in Jerusalem two millennia ago. Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem led Mass at the Holy Sepulcher church in the city on Easter Sunday. The site is where Christians believe Jesus was buried and resurrected. In the West Bank town of Bethlehem, worshippers prayed and lit candles at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.

Easter was also celebrated in Gaza where less than three thousand Christians live among about 1.7 million Muslims. Christian communities in the Holy Land, as well as elsewhere in the Middle East, have been declining in recent years due to regional turmoil. (Source: AP)