Christians Mark Good Friday As Holy Sites Reopen

JERUSALEM (AP) – Christians in the Holy Land are marking Good Friday this year amid signs the coronavirus crisis is winding down. Many religious sites are open to limited numbers of faithful but there will be none of the mass pilgrimages usually seen in the Holy Week leading up to Easter. Last year, Jerusalem was under a strict lockdown, a stark departure from past years, when tens of thousands of pilgrims would descend on the city’s holy sites. This year, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, died and rose from the dead, is open to visitors but only expecting a few dozen.