Christian worshipers gather at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ, during Palm Sunday in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, March 29, 2015. (photo credit: AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Christians around the world are marking Palm Sunday by waving fronds, attending church services and visiting sites in the Holy Land at the start of the Holy Week that ends with Easter.
Crowds of faithful gathered in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Many waved the fronds to symbolize how worshipers greeted Jesus over 2,000 years ago as he triumphantly returned to Jerusalem.
Later in the day, hundreds of Christian pilgrims are expected to march behind a white donkey from the Mount of Olives to the holy city, retracing Jesus’ traditional route into Jerusalem.
Worshipers also gathered in the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, the traditional site of Jesus’ birth, clutching olive branches and bouquets as they sang in praise.
Roman Catholic clergymen carry palm fronds during the Palm Sunday procession at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, traditionally believed by many to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus, in Jerusalem’s Old City, March 29, 2015. (photo credit: AP/Oded Balilty)
At the Vatican, Pope Francis marked Palm Sunday in St. Peter’s Square. In keeping with the simple tone of his 2-year-old papacy, Francis leaned on a plain wooden pastoral staff instead of a traditionally more ornate one as he stood under a red canopy on the basilica steps.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
Christian worshipers gather at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher during Palm Sunday in Jerusalem’s Old City, March 29, 2015. (photo credit: AP/Oded Balilty)
In Nigeria, the faithful attended church a day after millions voted in a presidential election too close to call, many praying for peace after violence marred its 2011 poll.
Christians also prayed in religiously diverse Lebanon as well, some of those refugees who have fled Syria’s four-year conflict.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press
Advertisement
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
