A ceremony began in Bethlehem to celebrate the midnight mass in the Church of the Nativity to celebrate the birth of Christ, peace be upon him, amid measures imposed by the Corona pandemic (Covid-19).
The pandemic limited the celebrations, especially after the Israeli authorities’ decision to prevent the entry of foreign tourists.
Al-Jazeera correspondent Guevara Al-Budairi said that the ceremony seemed lackluster due to the restrictions, noting that only dozens of people from the city and the towns of the Green Line attended.
She pointed out that what distinguishes the feast is the Christmas tree, decorations and lighting of the church, noting that the Latin Archbishop of Jerusalem, Pierre Battista Pizzaballa, presides over the mass, in the presence of a group of clergy, Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh, and other official figures.
She indicated that the sermon of Patriarch Pizzaballa will focus on the right of the Palestinian people to recover their rights, and by praying for all humanity from the holiest churches of the world that the Corona pandemic ends.
The traditional Christmas celebrations in Jerusalem began on Friday, with the start of the Christmas procession from the Latin Patriarchate in Bab Al-Khalil in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem to the city of Bethlehem.
The procession was attended by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pier Battista Pizzaballa, Archbishop William Shomali, Archbishop Paul Marcuzzo, the head of the seminary, Father Bernard Poggi, and a number of Christian clergy.
Celebration and restrictions
The start of the procession is one of the manifestations of the celebration of Christmas, after the exchange of congratulations at the headquarters of the Patriarchate and the sending of the Christmas message from Jerusalem.
Christians who follow the Western calendar celebrate Christmas today.
The number of Christians in Jerusalem is estimated at 15,000, of whom about 6,000 live in the Old City, and 6,000 others outside it, while 3,000 of them live outside the apartheid wall.