Christians Celebrate Easter in Jerusalem (3/3)

Father Jerome Murphy-O'Conner says with thousands of Jewish and Christian visitors in Jerusalem this year some will probably leave the city disappointed.

"The city is really crowded with pilgrims. The basic meaning of pilgrimage" class="hjdict" word="pilgrimage" target=_blank>pilgrimage is to go to pray at a place. You go because you believe prayer there will somehow be easier or real, because that's has been sanctified by a holy person. People who have that unconsciousexpectation then find themselves in a huge crowd being pushed and shoved and they feel that they are being robbed of space to recollect " class="hjdict" word="recollect " target=_blank>recollect themselves."

Israeli security forces sealed off the occupied West Bank at the beginning of Jewish Passover observances last week, preventing most Palestinians, except those granted special visitors passes, from visiting Jerusalem.

Thousands of Palestinian Christians, mostly from the nearby city of Bethlehem are granted the passes but security restrictions exclude many, especially young men from visiting.

Israeli authorities say the restrictions are necessary to prevent suicide bombings against targets in Israel.