With great reverence and emotion, the faithful participated in the sacred services of Good Friday celebrated with profound solemnity at the Holy Metropolis of Athens, presided over by the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Hieronymus. Earlier this morning, the Service of the Great Hours took place, while in the afternoon, with bells tolling mournfully, the Descent from the Cross ceremony was performed and Jesus was placed in the Epitaphios.
At 7 PM, the Epitaphios service is scheduled to take place, presided over by His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Hieronymus. At 9:30 PM, the Epitaphios procession will follow, passing through Mitropoleos, Othonos, King George, Ermou, Evangelistrias streets and Mitropoleos Square. For this purpose, marking ribbons and related notices have already been placed on Mitropoleos Street, asking citizens not to park their vehicles until 11 PM.
View images from Athens Metropolis:
Solemn Good Friday services in Jerusalem amid war
With particular emotion and under strict security measures, the traditional Good Friday morning procession took place in Jerusalem, reenacting Jesus Christ’s path to the Crucifixion along the Via Dolorosa, ending at Golgotha. After forty days of closure, the gates of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre reopened, marking a moment of special symbolism for the faithful.
According to authorities, access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which had remained closed due to the war between Israel and Iran, will tomorrow be permitted only to those carrying special access wristbands.
Descent from the Cross ceremony in Constantinople
With the same solemnity, the Descent from the Cross ceremony of Jesus also took place in Constantinople, attended by faithful who came to honor Christianity’s most moving day.
