Christians mark Good Friday in the Holy Land

[April 06, 2012]  JERUSALEM (AP) -- Roman Catholics and Protestants in the Holy Land are commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in Good Friday prayers and processions through Jerusalem's Old City.

In the West Bank town of Beit Jala, adjacent to Bethlehem, Palestinian Catholics re-enacted Jesus' 14 stations of the cross in their olive groves and vineyards to protest Israel's construction of settlements and separation barrier.

The Easter holiday and Jewish Passover coincide this year. According to the Gospels, Jesus ate his last supper -- a traditional Passover feast -- hours before he was betrayed and condemned to death.

Eastern Orthodox Christians follow a different calendar and will mark Good Friday next week.

Christians believe Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and resurrected on Easter Sunday.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.