Olive branches handed out on Palm Sunday in near-deserted Jerusalem

JERUSALEM Franciscan friars wearing surgical masks and gloves made house calls in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, delivering olive branches to Christians who are self-isolating as a precaution against the coronavirus. One of the friars used a loud-hailer in the streets of the walled Ol

Editorial Team Legacy

Published 5 April 2020, 8:00 · Updated 21:41

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JERUSALEM

Franciscan friars wearing surgical masks and gloves made house calls in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, delivering olive branches to Christians who are self-isolating as a precaution against the coronavirus.

One of the friars used a loud-hailer in the streets of the walled Old City to summon people to their front doors and windows, where they received branches and blessings.

In a solemn ceremony that would usually have been attended by thousands of worshippers, Roman Catholic church leaders then held a special prayer service on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem’s Old City and the Golden Dome of the Rock.

“Today everything is empty and silent and it’s very odd, it’s very sad,” said Acting Latin Patriarch Of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who presided over the ceremony.

Olive branches handed out on Palm Sunday in near-deserted Jerusalem

Editorial Team Legacy

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