Holy Sepulchre reopens
Orthodox Easter worshipers returned to public Sunday masses at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the first time in years, with attendees describing the moment as feeling 'like a blessing.' The observance coincided with Great and Holy Pascha on April 12 and broader Easter readings and reflections published by Vatican News (timesofisrael.com) (greekcitytimes.com) (vaticannews.va).
Orthodox Christians returned to public Pascha services at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday, April 12, after weeks of war-related closure. (timesofisrael.com) The church had been shut to the public since February 28, with access limited to clergy during security restrictions imposed as fighting with Iran escalated. Israeli authorities reopened Jerusalem’s holy sites on April 9, after a two-week ceasefire was announced. (religionnews.com) The Times of Israel reported that Sunday marked the first public Sunday masses there in years for other Christian denominations as worshipers from Orthodox, Catholic and Armenian traditions returned. One attendee described the reopening as “like a blessing.” (timesofisrael.com) The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the 4th-century Jerusalem church that many Christians revere as the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Easter observances there carry unusual weight because the church is shared by several Christian communities under a long-standing status quo arrangement. (religionnews.com) This year’s Orthodox Easter, or Pascha, fell on April 12, 2026, one week after Western Easter on April 5. Greek City Times described Pascha as the central feast of the Orthodox calendar, marking the Resurrection after Lent and Holy Week. (greekcitytimes.com) The reopening came after a Lent and Holy Week shaped by empty sanctuaries, livestreamed liturgies and police limits on public gatherings in Jerusalem’s Old City. Vatican News reported earlier that church leaders had reached arrangements with Israeli authorities to allow Easter rites to go ahead under restrictions. (vaticannews.va) Associated Press reported on April 9 that Israel lifted restrictions on large public gatherings at holy sites nearly six weeks after they were imposed. That decision reopened not only the Holy Sepulchre, but also Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall to worshipers. (apnews.com) Vatican News’ Easter reflections for April 12 focused on the Resurrection and the women who found the tomb empty, themes that framed the day’s observance across Christian traditions. In Jerusalem, those readings met a church that was no longer closed behind its doors. (vaticannews.va)
