Orthodox Christians Observe Easter Sunday

Millions of Orthodox Christians are celebrating Easter Sunday, but many have been urged to observe the commemoration of Christ’s resurrection from their homes instead of their usual places of worship amid efforts to bring the COVID pandemic under control.

There are more than 260 million Orthodox Christians according to U.S.-based Pew Research Center. Some churches streamed live services from empty places of worship, while others were open to worshippers. In Israel, hundreds of Orthodox Christians gathered at The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The site is revered as the place of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection and this year’s gathering was much larger than last because the country’s coronavirus restrictions have eased, according to Reuters.