Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to "choose peace" during his first Easter message on Sunday, as regional tensions forced a somber and restricted observance of the holiday across the Middle East.
In Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre remained closed to the public following strict security protocols implemented after the outbreak of war with Iran on February 28. Israeli police restricted access to the site, allowing only a handful of authorized individuals to approach the church, which is traditionally viewed as the site of Jesus’ resurrection.
"It is very difficult for all of us, because it is our holiday," said Christina Toderas, a 44-year-old visitor from Romania. "It is really very hard to want to pray, to come here and find nothing. Everything is closed."
Conflict overshadows holiday traditions
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, described the atmosphere as one of profound isolation. "The silence is almost absolute, only disturbed in the distance by the devastation that the war continues to cause in this holy and torn land," he stated on Saturday.
Tensions surrounding the church remain high. Last Sunday, Israeli authorities barred the Cardinal from entering the basilica, an incident that drew immediate international condemnation.
The impact of the conflict extends far beyond Jerusalem. In southern Lebanon, Christian villages near the Israeli border have been caught in a month-long exchange of fire between Israeli forces and the pro-Iranian movement Hezbollah. Despite the danger, many residents have refused to evacuate.
Joseph Attieh, a local official in the border town of Debel, described the living conditions as dire. "The situation is tragic," Attieh told AFP on Saturday. "The people are terrified."
Debel remains largely isolated from the outside world, relying entirely on sporadic humanitarian aid while heavy shelling continues to echo around the village.
Elsewhere in the region, authorities have curtailed public gatherings. In Dubai, the United Arab Emirates government suspended all church services starting Friday until further notice. In Damascus, Syria, church leaders limited Easter observances strictly to the interiors of buildings following recent unrest in a nearby Christian city.
