Thousands Take Part in Jerusalem Good Friday Procession
Christians carry a cross during a procession along the Via Dolorosa on Good Friday during Holy Week in Jerusalem's Old City, April 3, 2015.
JERUSALEM —
Christians around the world are observing Good Friday, marking the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Thousands of pilgrims crowded into the narrow cobblestone alleyways of Jerusalem’s Old City for the traditional Good Friday procession. Many carried big wooden crosses as they marched down the historic Via Dolorosa, or Way of Sorrows. They sang hymns and read scriptures as they visited the 14 stations of the Cross, which re-tell the gospels' story of Christ's final hours and his death on the cross.
The faithful came from all over the world.
“It is truly a privilege to be here,” said Joseph Magtoto, from the Philippines. “It is very wonderful - joyful - celebrating the life that Jesus spent in his own home country. We can also celebrate Good Friday, the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jerusalem is also awash with Jewish pilgrims, as Good Friday coincides this year with the weeklong Biblical holiday of Passover. It was an intriguing mix for Jeff Smith, a Christian from Utah in the United States.
“Something grand happened in the lives of many, many people today - in the lives of many Christian people, and for Jewish people the same thing. I think it’s a fascinating experience to see these people worshipping their God, their way,” he said.
The Good Friday procession wound up at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site where Jesus was buried. It is there on Easter Sunday that Christians will celebrate their belief in his resurrection from the dead.
PHOTO GALLERY: Good Friday celebrations around the world
Good Friday Celebrations Around the World
1/15Minority Indonesian Catholics pray during a Good Friday mass at the Jakarta cathedral, as Christian devotees mark holy week in Indonesia, a predominantly Islamic nation, April 3, 2015.
2/15Faithful attend the "Via Crucis" (Way of the Cross) procession, which commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, led by Pope Francis at the Colosseum in Rome, April 3, 2015.
3/15Penitents touch the effigy of "Cristo Salvador" (Christ the Savior) during the Holy Week procession on the beach in Valencia, Spain, April 3, 2015.
4/15Indonesian Catholics participate in a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ during a Good Friday procession in Grogol village, Magelang, Central Java, April 3, 2015.
5/15Christians carry a cross during a procession along the Via Dolorosa on Good Friday during Holy Week in Jerusalem's Old City, April 3, 2015.
6/15Assyrian Christians, who had fled the unrest in Syria, attend a mass at the Saint Georges Assyrian Church in Jdeideh, northeast of the Lebanese capital Beirut during the Good Friday procession, April 3, 2015.
7/15People carry a cross as they walk in procession on Good Friday, in the Brando area of the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, April 3, 2015.
8/15An effigy of Jesus Christ on the cross is carried by devotees during a Good Friday procession in Manila, The Philippines, April 3, 2015.
9/15Penitents take part in a processsion on Good Friday in Zipaquira, Colombia, April 3, 2015.
10/15Members of the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn lead the Way of the Cross procession over the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, April 3, 2015.
11/15Penitents of the Jesus Yacente brotherhood take part in a Holy Week procession in Zamora, Spain, April 3, 2015.
12/15Pilgrims kneel in prayer after reaching the final of the 14 Stations of the Cross, symbolizing when Jesus Christ was laid in his tomb, on Morne Calvaire Miracle, in Ganthier, Haiti, April 3, 2015.
13/15Pope Francis prays face down, on the floor of the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica during the Celebration of Lord's Passion on Good Friday, April 3, 2015.
14/15Christian faithful pray near the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi, Kenya, April 3, 2015 on Good Friday during the Holy Week of Easter.
15/15A man carries a cross during the Good Friday procession in Jerusalem's Old City, April 3, 2015.
